Good afternoon distinguished guests, BVU faculty and staff, friends and family, and most importantly, good afternoon to the graduating Class of 2021. For those unaware, my name is Ethan R. Ankrum, business marketing and communication studies very-soon-to-be bachelors recipient. I stand here today, like most of my friends and fellow graduates: gracious, joyful, teary-eyed— only a little— and prepared. Prepared to say that our class did this. We’ve graduated. But, I think before we get there, we should take the time to reflect on our experiences together. Whether you are walking across this stage as a legacy to the family that has come before you, or you come across as a first-generation student who will walk this stage as the first in their family’s history, it should be known that we have all taken steps, no matter how big or small, that have allowed us to be prepared to face challenge and change. And let me tell you, standing here today as the Class of 2021 has been no easy feat and surely filled with challenge. It has required what I would call: a True Resilience.

One of my favorite philosophers defines resilience near-perfectly. Marcus Aurelius defines it as an experience “[when] the mind adapts and converts everything that impedes its activities into something that advances its purpose, and a hindrance to its action becomes an aid, and an obstacle on its path helps it on its way.” Now, I believe adapting this definition to our own class, reveals that we as Beavers not only have recognized the struggles we have had to overcome, but have seen these barriers and failures as keys to further our own purposes. I’d say that defines resilience.

We’ve laid witness to a lot of challenge and change, physical and otherwise, not only here on our beautiful campus, but in the world that surrounds us today, where our resilience has shown through.

Here at BVU we’ve seen change in the form of evolving architecture in both Forum renovations; the welcomes and farewells to dedicated faculty and staff as they too continue on their journeys; and even today, our class has successfully proven to be Beaver Resilient through changes to our academic and living environments under a global pandemic. Though, what’s one better are the individual challenges that each of us have faced that proves our strength, resilience, and our ability to push forward.

These challenges, as we all know, take many forms and contorted sizes. For me, I remember when I first came here to BVU, quiet, introverted (a classic accountant at the time), and afraid of who I was. Though, as I stand here today, a communications guru per se, I see growth and True Resilience. Or, like my close friend Tania Toj, who was a member of the women’s soccer team, and those who, like her, faced long hours of physical and mental training, the pressure of big game wins and losses, all while staying on top of the academic game. Revealing an ability to use the hours within a day (needing more than 24 at some points) to fight on and reveal this True Resilience. I want to take a moment to congratulate Tania, on her degree in Accounting, Business, and Spanish.

I recall other challenges too, like those faced by my friend Stacey Rosener. Stacey, like many of us, has been exploring the world that surrounds her to find out who she is. Through a love for music, theatre, and international travels to Ireland and various parts of the U.K. and Europe, Stacey has continued to preserve what sometimes seems lost or taken away. I want her to know that, even absent those things, who she is, is beautiful, appreciated, and always will have my support. But, she too, has fought a battle with True Resilience. She has proven that even when things seem diminished or gone, we can push forward. I see that now, as she stands here today. I’d also want to congratulate, Stacey, on her degree in Strategic Public Relations. And finally, I have one more friend I want to mention: Jordyn Daggs-olson, or JJ as I call her. Who has taken on the depths of academic research through four years of honors and interning experiences across various sporting fields through her entire BVU career. Showcasing her ability to work hard, adjust and learn for the better of her work, AND her self, and keep going. She’s worked hard, and deserve congratulations on her honors degree in Strategic Public Relations within the Sports Communication track. She, too, has revealed this True Resilience. But these are only four examples. The challenges don’t end here. Every one of us sitting in these chairs has challenges faced and stories to share. These challenges have made us who we are. But least we forget that the communities and the world surrounding us have also required such resilience as we face, together, unprecedented change and challenge, that have impacted who we’ve become.

Not only have we fought this virus, physical, social, and mental barriers to health as a result, but our class has gone through two election cycles; battles for Truth against what we call Fake News; a series of attacks of racial inequality and injustice for people of Black and African American, Latinx and Hispanic, and more recently of Asian decents; a global climate crisis rapidly changing the environment around us; fights for gender equality in and outside of our workplaces; among many other societal challenges that far extend this list.

These challenges, whether we face them individually, or collectively as a community, require we hold the skills and knowledge to wonder and question, to not merely see but to listen, and require action and a fight for progress; they require a True Resilience. Only in learning these skills can we be prepared and resilient when the challenges do arise. These are all our stories and experiences of resilience. Experiences that have made us stronger. Sometimes on our own and other times together.

Now, as we leave this institution, as dreamers, doers, and creators, it is our parents, our grandparents, our friends and further family, even our mentors (thank you Dr. Barth), that have aided us in being prepared. To them, we owe a great amount of thanks. They have shown us the impact of hard work and facing uncertainty with a special kind of resilience that should be recognized. And to my fellow classmates, the graduating Class of 2021, it is now our duty to use the values instilled in us through our experiences and mentorship, paired with the knowledge, skills, and talents that make us awesome, to be prepared; to be resilient when the challenge arises. Thank you, and congratulations to my fellow Class of 2021, we did it.