Last evening I attended the graduation ceremony at Fontbonne Academy, a Sponsored Ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph. It's always wonderful to witness the accomplishment and hope in these young women as they begin the rest of their lives. Joan Barry, the commencement speaker was from the 50th reunion class. A number of members from her class were also present. After Head of School Mary Ellen Barnes introduced Joan with an impressive review her career and her service involvements over the years, Joan spoke of other Fontbonne Alumnae who are making a difference in our world.
I'm so proud to be part of this legacy. We call graduation "Commencement." Years ago I wondered why something that was called an end is called a beginning. That was before I discovered T.S. Eliot and he became one of my favorite poets. Eliot has a lot to say about beginnings and endings in the fourth of The Four Quartets, Little Gidding:
What we call the beginning is often the endAs Joan encouraged the graduates to "start your journey," I was so aware of all the endings and beginnings that have been lauched at graduations and in particular at Fontbonne Academy graduations. Doctors, human resource directors, communication directors, finance professionals, business owners, stay-at-home moms, interior designers, lawyers, performing arts professionals, musuem curators, educators from pre-school to graduate school, health care professionals, musicians, pastoral ministers, editors of local and international newspapers, and so so much more.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from.
These are just a few Fontbonne women I've read about or been in touch with in the past few months. Think of the impat the 6000+ Fontbonne women have on our world each day. As it says in one of the earliest documents of the Sisters of St. Joseph called The Reglements, "...they will undertake...all of which women are capable."
The class of 2010 have been awarded over 14.5 million dollars in scholarships. As one of the student speakers said, "each graduate has been a part of something remarkable in her own way." Imagine the impact the newest Fontbonne Alumnae, "women of courage made strong," can have on world as they move forward "by this fountain made strong" "undertaking...all of which women are capable!"
Today's Patriot Ledger has an article with pictures and a video of the commencement -- the end which is a beginning.
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Many young people fail to understand the significance of the term 'commencement' and it is often only years later that we look back and see that this really was the end of the first phase of our lives and the beginning or commencement of the next. I remember my own graduation vividly and it really was the point at which my life took a new direction.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Sam Weston that all too many young people today see their graduation as the end of their education, rather than the start of what for many will be the most exciting phase of their lives.
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