Congratulations 2011 Graduates!

          It’s graduation season and I have had the enormous privilege of attending two university commencement ceremonies in the past few weeks.  The first was in Greeneville, North Carolina, where my brilliant and spirited sister-in-law earned her M.D. from the Brody School of Medicine.  The second was in Medford, Massachusetts where my dear, patient husband earned his Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.  After many months despairing over the frustrating state of affairs in public education, these two ceremonies inspired me to have faith in a brighter future for schools and communities around the world.

            The Brody School of Medicine is part of the public East Carolina University system and falls in the top ten among U.S. medical schools in percentage of students that go on to practice primary care and rural medicine.  Brody ranks in the 90 percentile for medical schools in the percentage of African American and Native American graduates, and boasts the one of the lowest debt burdens for graduating doctors.  In a time when inequity feels like the status quo, it is uplifting to see public schools crafting opportunities for scholars of all backgrounds to afford a quality education and go on to serve communities in need.  I am so proud of the newly graduated Dr. Elliot and the diverse Brody class of 2011!

            The Fletcher School, part of the private Tufts University, has a mission to prepare “the world's leaders to become innovative problem-solvers in government, business and non-governmental organizations”.  Fletcher's students come from all over the world, and have done everything from earning Olympic medals to establishing non-profits prior to enrollment.  The speakers at Fletcher’s commencement ceremonies, which included Senator John Kerry, all acknowledged the increasing severity and complexity of the problems these graduates would face upon re-entering the global work force.  What made the commencement so uplifting, however, was the faith and conviction expressed by each of the speakers that the graduates were prepared to face these challenges and pave the way to a more harmonious tomorrow.  They didn’t say the process would be easy- - simply that it would be possible.  Having spent time with many of the Fletcher graduates during my husband’s two years of study there, I have no doubt this is true.

            The problems generated by scarcity of resources, inequity, and philosophical and cultural clashes are certainly not unique to education, nor are they going away any time soon.  There are already wonderful efforts in place, such as those at both Brody and Fletcher, to provide opportunities for higher education to a diverse range of scholars and encourage the graduates to tackle the complex problems facing communities locally and globally.  Congratulations to all 2011 graduates- from high school grads to Ph.D.'s!  I can't wait to see what you all make possible!