Before the next chapter begins, a celebration

On the last day of spring, members of the University of Oregon’s class of 2023 marched into Autzen Stadium to celebrate the end of their college careers, and the start of the rest of their lives.

Nearly 5,000 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and law degrees were conferred at the 147th Commencement, which took place under partly sunny skies. Eleven graduates had extra reason to celebrate — June 20 is their birthday.

Before the ceremony, the graduates lined up next to the Moshofsky Center in green caps and gowns and waited for the grand entrance to the stadium. This class of graduates saw their college careers disrupted by the pandemic, including multiple terms of remote learning before a return to normal, but they persevered.

“I’m excited but also a little sad it’s coming to an end,” said Parker Rollins, who earned a degree in business administration and is heading to Notre Dame for graduate school in the fall.

Nick Keough graduated summa cum laude with degrees in political science and public policy, planning and management, and already is working as legislative director for the Oregon Student Association, which lobbies on behalf of students. He’s a first-generation college student from rural Texas who always dreamed of attending the UO. “I’m processing a lot of emotions right now,” he said. “There were a lot of challenges along the way, a lot of sacrifices for me and my family,” he said. “I’m happy to celebrate all that hard work today.”

Nasrin Golshany was celebrating her long journey to earning a Ph.D. in architecture, which began with undergraduate studies in her native Iran. “It feels awesome,” she said. “I’m from a far-away country. There’s been a lot of ups and downs. I’m very proud of myself.”

Interim UO President Jamie Moffitt told the graduates to think hard about what they want to be doing with the time they have. “Regardless of what you do, you’re going to spend a lot of hours at work, so it’s good to pick something you’re passionate about,” she said.

It’s okay to experiment with different jobs and opportunities, and to switch careers if you’re not happy, she said. “It can take time to learn how to focus your life.”

The commencement speaker, Amy Bowers Cordalis, recalled her evolution as a college student at the UO, from a cheerleader studying business and driving a red convertible, to studying eco-feminism, growing out her leg hair, and graduating with bachelor’s degree in political science in 2003. Today, she is a fisherwoman, attorney and member of the Yurok Tribe. She is co-principal of the Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group, a nonprofit representing indigenous tribes, organizations, and people in natural and cultural resource matters.

The Yurok people have a saying, seeing from the mountain, which means “expanding our individual perspective which is usually rooted in our daily struggles to see the bigger picture and to gain new insight to help us to see our life’s purpose and solve our most pressing problems,” she said.

She was motivated to study law and help her tribe after witnessing a massive fish kill on the Klamath River in 2002 caused by low river flows. Twenty years later, she sat in a hearing room in Washington, D.C., when a federal agency voted to remove four dams on the Klamath, a cause she had battled for years.

That’s when she knew she was living her purpose.

“These are the moments I hope you pursue,” she said. “Not titles or salaries or acclaim. But: Solutions. Sustainability. Progress. Community.”