Worcester State University
Senior Capping Ceremony, 2013
Introduction of Keynote Speaker
by Thomas E. Conroy, Ph.D.
Good afternoon. I am Tom Conroy; I am Assistant Professor and Chair of Urban Studies here at Worcester State University. It is an honor for me to be here today. I get to introduce you, a room full of soon-to-be graduates, to Kate Audette, a 2006 graduate from my department of whom we are particularly proud.
I knew of Kate long before I met her. Her name came up at department meetings often enough because our faculty closely followed her career as we do with many grads. But when my colleagues talked about her, it was with a sort of reverential informality, and almost always with simply a reference to her first name. “Kate just got a new job”… “I talked to Kate yesterday.” It was seldom “Kate Audette got a new job." There seemed to be no need to use her last name. Everyone (but me) understood who “Kate” meant.
As a result of this, I got to thinking early on that she was something of a department legend, an idea that solidified in my brain over time as I learned of her impressive accomplishments. For example, she earned high honors while completing her Bachelor’s degree under especially difficult circumstances that I will let her tell you about; she then earned a Masters in Social Work at Salem State University and was named one of the most influential social work leaders in America under the age of 30. She was a graduate intern in pediatric oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and was selected to lobby for the state’s children’s health insurance program in Washington, DC. Last year she was honored by Salem State with a Social Worker Alumni Award and she was the first recipient of the Nancy Henrickson Distinguished Alumni Award from the Urban Studies Department here. She has worked at Harbor Health Services, Inc. in Boston, where she was a senior policy analyst; she is an adjunct faculty member at the Graduate Schools of Social Work at Simmons College and Boston University; she recently accepted a position as the Director of State Government Relations at Boston Children’s Hospital. She serves on various non-profit boards and committees and, as if that is not enough, she manages to volunteer a few times a year at Camp Sunshine in Maine, a retreat for terminally ill children and their families.
After meeting her, hearing her speak, and talking with her, it is easy to agree with the things her former professors say about her: Kate is instantly engaging, insightful, bright, spirited, gracious, and quick to offer her assistance. She has a particular knack, I am told, for summing up situations realistically and coming up with workable and successful action plans. She is the kind of graduate we like to see from our department, and someone whose actions and career shine brightly on all Worcester State students and graduates from every discipline.
So, now, years after first hearing her name in department meetings and after getting to know her a little personally, I understand that Kate is something of a legend in my department but not necessarily because of what she does. Rather, it is because of how she does what she does: with grace, professionalism, intelligence, and tremendous compassion.
On behalf of the Urban Studies Department, and its current and former faculty, and the full faculty, administration, staff, and trustees of Worcester State University, I am very proud to welcome Kate Audette, Class of 2006, to deliver the keynote address today. Please welcome her with me
Keynote Speaker Remarks
by Kathryn Audette, Class of 2006
President Maloney, Trustees, Alumni Association, Student Government, Faculty, Staff, friends, family and members of class of 2014 - I want to thank you for extending me the invitation to attend your capping ceremony and speak to you today.
I also want to thank Dr. Conroy the Chair of the Urban Studies Department for your gracious introduction.
I am honored to take part in today’s celebration and want to congratulate the class of 2014 on this important milestone in your academic journey at WSU. I am extremely appreciative of the invitation to take part in these exercises as I was not able to attend my own capping ceremony. You see my time at WSU was marked by unique challenges. Challenges that put me on an extended trajectory to completion of my degree or what you might call the “7 year plan”. But it was these challenges which have forever altered my life’s course in profound ways.
So today, I wanted to speak to you on the topic of challenges. Specifically, the challenges I have faced and what I hope that you can take away from my story.
Of all the challenges that I faced during my time at WSU, the most significant came during the spring of my junior year when my then eight month old son Kaiden was diagnosed with Medullablastoma, an aggressive, cancerous, brain tumor. Kaiden would go on to be hospitalized for eight months at Boston Children’s Hospital where he underwent numerous surgeries, various aggressive chemo treatments and radiation therapy. Despite the amazing care that Kaiden received he lost his battle with cancer on October 27, 2004.
Initially, after coming to terms with Kaiden’s diagnosis I had attempted to withdraw from my classes and take a leave from my studies at WSU. The faculty and staff in the Urban Studies program however had other plans for me. With their guidance and support I was able to stay enrolled taking two classes which I completely remotely from my son’s bedside. Dr. Maureen Power would come to the hospital to bring me books and assignments but more than that she brought with her the unwavering support on behalf of the whole Urban Studies Department.
As a lifelong learner who has always enjoyed school having these books to read and class work to complete served a healthy distraction and a way to pass the over 200 days and nearly 5,000 hours that I spent in the hospital with Kaiden. Thanks to the encouragement and support that I received from WSU --- I went on to graduate cum laude only three semesters after Kaiden’s passing and even continued on to obtain my master’s degree in social work from Salem State University.
I also want to thank Dr. Conroy the Chair of the Urban Studies Department for your gracious introduction.
I am honored to take part in today’s celebration and want to congratulate the class of 2014 on this important milestone in your academic journey at WSU. I am extremely appreciative of the invitation to take part in these exercises as I was not able to attend my own capping ceremony. You see my time at WSU was marked by unique challenges. Challenges that put me on an extended trajectory to completion of my degree or what you might call the “7 year plan”. But it was these challenges which have forever altered my life’s course in profound ways.
So today, I wanted to speak to you on the topic of challenges. Specifically, the challenges I have faced and what I hope that you can take away from my story.
Of all the challenges that I faced during my time at WSU, the most significant came during the spring of my junior year when my then eight month old son Kaiden was diagnosed with Medullablastoma, an aggressive, cancerous, brain tumor. Kaiden would go on to be hospitalized for eight months at Boston Children’s Hospital where he underwent numerous surgeries, various aggressive chemo treatments and radiation therapy. Despite the amazing care that Kaiden received he lost his battle with cancer on October 27, 2004.
Initially, after coming to terms with Kaiden’s diagnosis I had attempted to withdraw from my classes and take a leave from my studies at WSU. The faculty and staff in the Urban Studies program however had other plans for me. With their guidance and support I was able to stay enrolled taking two classes which I completely remotely from my son’s bedside. Dr. Maureen Power would come to the hospital to bring me books and assignments but more than that she brought with her the unwavering support on behalf of the whole Urban Studies Department.
As a lifelong learner who has always enjoyed school having these books to read and class work to complete served a healthy distraction and a way to pass the over 200 days and nearly 5,000 hours that I spent in the hospital with Kaiden. Thanks to the encouragement and support that I received from WSU --- I went on to graduate cum laude only three semesters after Kaiden’s passing and even continued on to obtain my master’s degree in social work from Salem State University.
I share these experiences with you because I know that every member of the class of 2014 and indeed everyone who is under the sound of my voice today has faced challenges in life. Indeed there is a collective challenge facing you a senior class – a challenge to complete this final year of your undergraduate studies and transition to the next chapter of your story. For some that may mean continuing your education, for others it may mean entering the workforce – I know there are many parents in the audience hoping that this means you are moving out! Regardless, all of you will ultimately be facing one of life’s most essential challenges -- to capitalize on your potential and find your purpose.
I have decided not to let the challenges that I have faced define me, instead I let them drive me. I have learned that things that do not challenge you will not you change you. Challenges push you outside your comfort zone and that is where transformative life experiences often occur. I came into WSU thinking that I wanted a career business but truth be told I was ambivalent and unsure. If it weren’t for the challenges that I faced while a student here I would not have been set on the path that has lead me to a career that I love -- a career that gives me the privilege to be a voice for children like Kaiden --- a voice for children facing health challenges.
I have decided not to let the challenges that I have faced define me, instead I let them drive me. I have learned that things that do not challenge you will not you change you. Challenges push you outside your comfort zone and that is where transformative life experiences often occur. I came into WSU thinking that I wanted a career business but truth be told I was ambivalent and unsure. If it weren’t for the challenges that I faced while a student here I would not have been set on the path that has lead me to a career that I love -- a career that gives me the privilege to be a voice for children like Kaiden --- a voice for children facing health challenges.
As you prepare to embark on the exciting challenges that lie ahead I want to share with you a quote from the Dali Lama that provides thoughtful insight on how to tackle life’s challenges especially the challenges that you will face in the remainder of your undergrad studies and transitions that lie ahead. The Dali Lama was once asked what surprised you most about humanity. His response? Man -- he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” So what the Dali Lama was really trying to tell us was to YOLO, for those of you scratching your head that is the acronym for the mantra “you only live once”. I like this quote from the Dali Lama because it embodies the approach that Kaiden’s dad and I took upon learning of Kaiden’s diagnosis. We lived in the present. We celebrated every small milestone like getting a good set of test results or a successful surgery despite the fact that the future for Kaiden was uncertain at best.
While in the hospital I continued to work towards earning my degree because I knew that no matter what the future held having a degree from WSU would be invaluable. What I hope you can take away from the Dali Lama’s words and my story is the following:
Plan for your future but live in the moment.
Enjoy and embrace every moment of your senior year – as a college professor myself I know that the “senior slide” is a very real phenomenon but stay focused on your studies and the tasks at hand in these coming months while also being mindful to plan for your future. Persevere through the challenges that you face today and in the future and endeavor to be open to the opportunities that they may hold for you. Indeed one of the major lessons that I have learned from the challenges I have faced is that life is what happens while you are BUSY making other plans and if we are to live a truly fulfilled life we must be as EM Forester said, willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
While in the hospital Kaiden’s Godmother and my best friend of over 25 years had sent me a story entitled Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley. The story was designed to illustrate the experience of having a child who has a terminal illness or special needs. The story draws a comparative analysis between learning that you are going to have a baby and planning a trip to Italy. When planning your trip you buy all the guide books research everything that you can and after several months of eager anticipation and preparation the day finally arrives you pack your bags and off you go. However when the plane lands the flight attendant says “welcome to Holland” "Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy. But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met otherwise.
It's just a different place.
It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss. However, if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.
While in the hospital I continued to work towards earning my degree because I knew that no matter what the future held having a degree from WSU would be invaluable. What I hope you can take away from the Dali Lama’s words and my story is the following:
Plan for your future but live in the moment.
Enjoy and embrace every moment of your senior year – as a college professor myself I know that the “senior slide” is a very real phenomenon but stay focused on your studies and the tasks at hand in these coming months while also being mindful to plan for your future. Persevere through the challenges that you face today and in the future and endeavor to be open to the opportunities that they may hold for you. Indeed one of the major lessons that I have learned from the challenges I have faced is that life is what happens while you are BUSY making other plans and if we are to live a truly fulfilled life we must be as EM Forester said, willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
While in the hospital Kaiden’s Godmother and my best friend of over 25 years had sent me a story entitled Welcome to Holland by Emily Perl Kingsley. The story was designed to illustrate the experience of having a child who has a terminal illness or special needs. The story draws a comparative analysis between learning that you are going to have a baby and planning a trip to Italy. When planning your trip you buy all the guide books research everything that you can and after several months of eager anticipation and preparation the day finally arrives you pack your bags and off you go. However when the plane lands the flight attendant says “welcome to Holland” "Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy. But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place. So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met otherwise.
It's just a different place.
It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned." And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss. However, if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.
While this parable was designed for parents of children facing health challenges I think that the message is one that can resonate with just about everyone. While my life’s journey may have lead me down a path that I could have never have anticipated I saw my challenges as opportunities in disguise and that is why:
Ten years ago I was applying for welfare benefits and now I am applying for a mortgage to buy my first home.
It is why ten years ago I was on the brink of being a college dropout and now I am stand before you celebrating my fourth academic year as an MSW adjunct professor.
It is why, ten years ago my son was fighting for his life as a patient at Boston Children’s Hospital and now I have a job fighting for all the children that the hospital serves.
Class of 2014, my hope for you as complete your senior year and face the challenges ahead is that you might as Albert Einstein said learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. I look forward to welcoming you to ranks of Lancer Alumni in a few shorts month and wish you a rewarding, successful AND challenging final year at Worcester State University.
Ten years ago I was applying for welfare benefits and now I am applying for a mortgage to buy my first home.
It is why ten years ago I was on the brink of being a college dropout and now I am stand before you celebrating my fourth academic year as an MSW adjunct professor.
It is why, ten years ago my son was fighting for his life as a patient at Boston Children’s Hospital and now I have a job fighting for all the children that the hospital serves.
Class of 2014, my hope for you as complete your senior year and face the challenges ahead is that you might as Albert Einstein said learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. I look forward to welcoming you to ranks of Lancer Alumni in a few shorts month and wish you a rewarding, successful AND challenging final year at Worcester State University.
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