Resilience, relationships and learning

Good afternoon everyone. Today marks not just the culmination of our academic journey but celebrates the resilience, relationships, and learning that we've developed along the way. It’s these three words that I’ll focus on today.

Resilience

Reflecting on our time here, it's impossible to overlook the backdrop against which we began university, namely the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting university is difficult enough as it is—academic demands, meeting new friends, living in a new city—and for us, this was amplified by COVID-19.

Yet despite this, or perhaps because of this, we remained resilient and stuck together.

We didn't just shift to online classrooms; we reshaped our entire approach to learning and socialising. Whether we realised it or not, this shift tested our resilience and taught us the importance of community, ultimately bringing us together.

Today, we're not just a cohort that navigated through a pandemic; we are a testament to our resilience in doing so. I strongly believe that although we began as students in a time of uncertainty, we’ve emerged as a one-of-a-kind graduate group, ready to resiliently take on the world.

Relationships

Just a few months ago, many of us participated in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival. Whether we were running, cheering or volunteering, it was a day that brought the entire Edinburgh community together. That evening, like many others, I had a few well-deserved refreshments at the pub with some family and friends. One of the phrases I distinctly remember being said that night was ‘friends for life’.

We’ve developed ‘friends for life’ at this university. I believe it 100 per cent and delighted that so many of mine are graduating with me today. I can imagine that if you look around right now, you’ll be able to say the same thing.

These relationships we formed with fellow students, staff members, sports coaches and everything in between, demonstrate our ability to bond and find common ground, even when we couldn't initially meet on common ground physically.

This university has been more than a crucible for our academic skills. It has been a place of holistic growth—intellectually, emotionally, and notably relationally.

From our first steps of first year to the confident strides we are taking today, we've developed relationships that’ll last a lifetime.

Learning

As we celebrate finishing our degree, let’s remember education is more than a piece of paper. Philosopher John Dewey once said: ‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.'

This resonates with us as graduates because our time at Edinburgh has been more than regurgitating a textbook. It’s been about exploring new ideas, challenging our preconceptions and, at the end of the day, finding out who we really want to be.

As we leave university, this ability to stay engaged and keep asking questions is more crucial than ever. Whether you’re starting a job straight away, going travelling for the foreseeable, or still have no idea what’s next—and that’s completely okay by the way—let's commit to staying connected, not just to each other but to the core values that have brought us to this moment.

Remember: we are not just graduates of this university; we are its ambassadors. Let’s make use of our privileged position and never stop learning.

And one final thing regarding this. University can, and has been, stressful at times. It’s been easy to worry about a big deadline, get FOMO from a ‘Why Not Wednesday’, or have discussions as to which local café—Nile Valley or Africano Wrap—is a better option.

However, today I think we should remember how privileged we are to be here. In a world where people are having issues a lot worse than ours, let’s remember our privileged position and use it for good as we step forward in the world.

Join the dance

To conclude, as we sit here on the brink of what's next, I’m reminded of a quotation by the philosopher Alan Watts regarding change which is: 'The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.'

We are about to step into a world that often presents as much opportunity as it does uncertainty. Watts' words inspire us not to shy away from these changes but to transform them, to see them as a dance we are all part of.

Let’s move forward with the assurance that our time at the University of Edinburgh has equipped us not just to cope with this dance of change but to lead it. To innovate, to invigorate and to inspire the fields and communities we will touch. We have learned to thrive amidst the challenges and to find joy in the journey itself.

Congratulations my fellow graduates. May your lives be as rich and rewarding as the education that has brought us to this moment. Let's move boldly and curiously into the future and make it our own. Let's dance.