4 Reflections on Learning, Change, Resilience, and Love
🎓The Convocation Ceremony to Remember
Walking across the stage today felt surreal, especially knowing this would be my last convocation ceremony 🎓. At age 66, this PhD milestone marks the culmination of a long and transformative journey. As I listened to the speeches at the convocation, several messages deeply resonated with me. I hope they encourage you, too.
🌱 Education is more than gaining knowledge
It changes who we are through the learning process. It shapes our mindset, our worldview, and our capacity to make a difference.
Through my PhD journey, I learned what it truly means to listen with curiosity: to pause before jumping to conclusions. I learned to sift through nuances in data and weave them into meaningful insights. I learned to respect the process, to trust each step, and to practice patience.
I also discovered the generosity of people, like my research participants who freely give their time and stories to advance causes that matter. And perhaps most importantly, I learned that with hard work, commitment, and faith in the process, even what once seemed impossible can be achieved.
💧 Change doesn’t always come in a big bang.
It often unfolds quietly, through small, consistent drops of effort. Yet those ripples, when shared across people, teams, and communities can create lasting transformation.
I hope to promote a minimalist mindset as a grassroot movement. This means keeping the message simple, relatable, and accessible, reaching people one person or one community at a time. As more people embrace these values, the message spreads. Together, we can turn unconventional practices into the mainstream and create meaningful, larger-scale impact.
💪 Life is hard, and resilience matters.
What defines us is not how many times we fall, but how we learn to rise from each setback, becoming stronger and wiser each time.
Throughout my journey, I’ve faced many obstacles and disappointments. Instead of ruminating on the errors, faults, or regrets, I’ve learned to search for the lessons within the challenges. What is within my control? How can I do things differently next time? What can I improve? And perhaps most importantly, how might I continue shaping my character toward greater maturity and wisdom?
In difficult moments, I often return to my life purpose statement. It is a compass that helps me refocus on what truly matters and regain perspective on the grand scheme of things.
❤️ The Power of Love in Action
I was especially moved by our Indigenous leader and scholar, Dr. Darren Thomas.
He reminded us that when the Haudenosaunee people first met the settlers, they showed them love. Our nation is built on love. His message reminded me that even in times of unprecedented challenge and division, love remains our foundation and our way forward.
What a powerful truth in an age where mistrust, misinformation, greed, and indifference often prevail. In my own faith tradition, “love one another as God loves us” is a given. Yet, while we often speak of it, living out love in action, especially amid conflict on both small and global scales, feels like one of the hardest things to practice.
So, I ask myself: What can I do to bring more love and kindness into the world around me?
As I reflect on this milestone, I’m filled with gratitude for the professors, mentors, research participants, peers, and loved ones who have walked with me on this journey. The PhD is not an ending, it signals a new beginning: to keep learning, to keep serving, and to let the ripples of love, knowledge, and action spread.
How might we each play a part in spreading love, simplicity, and resilience in our communities?
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