It is that time of year again. The days are getting longer, the weather is showing signs of warming, and the excitement of Commencement is in the air.
This year, there is more excitement than usual. After two years of having to launch our amazing graduates off into their respective careers virtually, the IHP will be hosting our first in-person commencement and we could not be more pleased. We will get to formally congratulate each student as they walk across the stage. We will get to meet their family and friends who have shared in this journey with them, and, we will get to recognize and honor their accomplishments, perseverance, and resilience as they navigated one of the hardest times to be a student in our 45-year history. This pandemic has made us grateful for some things we often took for granted, and being able to celebrate the Class of 2022 in person is a gift to each of us and one that will be long remembered.
As I think about the 612 graduates who will be receiving their diplomas on May 13 at the Boston Conference and Exhibition Center, it’s about how so many of them began either right before or during the pandemic. In both cases, they were entering health care at a time when so much was uncertain and most healthcare providers faced unprecedented challenges. While providers were seen as “health care heroes,” we all recognized the stress they were under caring for seriously ill patients plus the anxiety of caring for their family and themselves. I am so impressed with the bravery and courage each student exhibited as they came to campus for clinical practice, donned their PPE to go to clinical settings, and experienced new ways of learning and engaging with their faculty, classmates, and the IHP community.
Each graduate has their own story to tell – of the fear of an unknown virus, of the anxiety about going into the clinical setting, of the frustration of not being able to come to campus to meet with colleagues and friends. But the story I hope each graduate remembers the most is the incredible success they achieved when faced with this adversity. The story of resilience when so many things were changing so very fast and how they persevered to reach their goal. The story of relationships they built and nurtured over Zoom and the excitement of meeting in person for the first time once we were allowed out of quarantine.
It will be important to remember the good and joyous experiences of the last few years. Our graduates didn’t let anything get in their way of finishing their degree, including a once-in-a-century pandemic. They should be so proud of what they have accomplished.
Because of the pandemic, the IHP had to hold commencement ceremonies for the classes of 2020 and 2021 virtually. The virtual commencements were lovely events, and we really got to learn about each member of the respective graduating class because each one had an individual slide that told a little about them. These graduate also were courageous, resilient, and goal oriented. However, we were unsatisfied with sending them off in an unceremonial way so on May 21, we have invited members of both classes to join us for a reception in their honor. We are so looking forward to welcoming them back to campus and giving them the joy of interacting with their peers and their faculty, just as they would have done if they had an in-person commencement event. We recognize the importance of ceremonies and the opportunity to celebrate one’s accomplishments. Although it’s later than we would have liked, we are looking forward to just as meaningful a celebration with them.
To all the graduates around the world who are getting ready to make their mark in the world, I offer my congratulation and best wishes for a successful, productive, and impactful career.