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Commencement 2007.
It was a beautiful day in Lawrence. Sunny, in the mid-70s, a little windy, but overall you couldn’t have ordered a more fitting canvas for the 2007 commencement.
For the first time in many years, I had no official obligations. I headed to the place I wanted to be: the top of the Hill, the campanile.
When I arrived, the crowd was already forming. Parents, grandparents and siblings were jostling for the best spot, armed with their cameras. It was impossible not to get swept up by the air of anticipation. I could sense all the emotions surrounding me. “So this is what it feels like to have your kid graduating from college,” I thought. “Joy, pride and yes, relief!”
For the graduates, all that hard work had paid off. But the parents and grandparents knew this represented much more. Graduating from KU is a defining moment, a life-changing experience. As an observer, it was easy for me to live in the moment. I smiled the whole time as I watched the graduates shouting jubilantly as they passed through the campanile. I had no self-interest, so I offered to hold a woman’s place at the front of the crowd while she went to rest on a bench. I gladly moved to the back when she returned. It never felt so good to surrender a prime spot, to step back, relax and enjoy.
Exactly 30 years earlier, I was one of those KU graduates. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to renew that cherished memory, the feeling of collective joy, the wonder of what lies ahead. There’s no place like Campanile Hill on commencement day.
Indelible moments at KU inspire many graduates to do something great for their alma mater. I hope you’ll move on to enjoy their stories in our magazine, KU Giving.
Dale Seuferling, President
KU Endowment