You are All the Same in Your Differences

A sea of red robes filled the Boston University Track & Tennis Center on Thursday, May 16, as Associate Provost for Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) Linda Hyman, PhD, presided over commencement exercises for 348 master’s degree candidates.

“…You are all different, so it’s not easy to address you in sweeping terms. You are a heterogeneous group who have become or will be experts…but what you have in common is what it takes to be successful in graduate school – smarts, perseverance, grit and passion for what you do…,” she said.

In what has become a tradition, Dr. Hyman shared a Latin phrase with the graduating class. “Non Omnia Possumus Omnes – ‘We can’t all of us do everything.’ Or in other words – it’s all about the team,” she explained. “No matter how smart, hardworking and resilient you are, you could have not done it alone; there is strength in your heterogeneity and moving forward you will not be truly successful working in silos.”

Three student speakers provided perspective on their GMS experiences and their hopes for their classmates.

Receiving his master’s in Anatomy & Neurobiology, Nick Nicoletti shared his thoughts, “Today we are here, celebrating milestones. Preparing for a transition in our own human experience, whatever that may be. Let us use this transition to actively set an example that learning … is cool! Learning is vital.

“As graduates, we understand what it takes to excel in scientific learning: an intense motivation to understand, the willingness to learn from others and a passion to discover the unknown. This … if used to learn about our world and all its people, would foster a new wave of inclusion and equality.”

Josee’ Muldrew, a candidate for Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling, said, “To our professors, thank you for being amazing mentors and exceptional examples of what it means to not only be great professors, but great clinicians in the field. To my cohort, thank you for seeing me at times when I didn’t even see myself. I think this is a testament to the good work that you will continue to do in the future …

“To the class of 2019, if I could leave you all with anything today, it would be ‘to trust’. Trust in our training, trust in our ability to hold the dialectic, trust that the debt was worth it, and trust that where we are in this moment is exactly where we are supposed to be. Congratulations Class of 2019!”

Neya Vishwanath, who earned a master’s in Medical Sciences, added, “It’s wonderful to see all the (GMS) programs sitting together, perhaps for the first time since orientation two years ago. And so exciting to think about all the amazing people who will leave this field and set out to make positive changes in this world. As I was writing this speech, I started thinking about how our education is nothing if we don’t do something with it, if we don’t do some good with it … It’s good people and positive actions that make the world go round. Between the future forensic scientists, dentists, mental health counselors, researchers, doctors, genetic counselors, and every future profession that is represented here, I have no doubt that great things will come out of this class.”

View the Facebook album for photos from the day!