Welcoming almost a hundred graduating students and their families (Grebel’s largest cohort yet), President Susan Schultz Huxman described the basis of Grebel’s community. “We seek to connect, not divide: the spirit from matter, the arts from the sciences, study from play, and intellect from faith.” Just as students gather together with faculty and staff for chapel and Community supper, so we “celebrate community, connection and the precious gift of releasing our graduates to the world.”
Convocation is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work and dedication students have shown in their studies and allows a moment for each student to share their future plans. Listening to the dreams of travel, plans for further study, commitments to volunteering, successful and unsuccessful job seekers, and promises of marriage, there is an overall optimism and desire to go out into the world and make it a better place.
In her valedictorian speech, Liberal Studies graduate, Rebecca Steiner urged her classmates to think of Grebel as a springboard into the mysterious and thrilling unknown. “The world is ready for us to dream and accomplish the seemingly impossible,” she declared. “Use your abilities, wisdom, and young-heartedness to serve your communities and seek new roads, making opportunities wherever you go. We are leaving behind a legacy.” And indeed these graduates of 2012 have already left their mark on Grebel, and we are eager to see what they accomplish in their lives.
Andrew Stumpf represented the nine students graduating with a Master of Theological Studies degree, four of which are involved as ministers in MCEC. He thanked the faculty for their wisdom, insight, care and friendship in helping to form strong foundations in each student, preparing them to go on and build beautiful structures – whether physical or intangible. Andrew encouraged every person in attendance to “take your stand for what’s good and true and right because light needs to be shone in every area of our society, beginning with relationships and the places where we study and work each day.” Drawing people from many diverse walks of life, the Theological Studies program continues to grow, preparing students for further graduate work, for ministry, or for personal enrichment.
Mark Weber, a Grebel Alumnus from the ’90s gave the convocation address. He described Grebel as a safe place to think boldly! He asked students to ponder some questions: Who are you? Who do you want to be? Who will you surround yourself with? What contribution will you make? While each person’s answers differ, all answers point to the final question of: How will you find a sense of purpose and meaning in life. Ending with a quoting from Frederick Buechner, Mark said, “The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
