Northwestern University SPS Convocation 2026 – Student Speakers

[00:00:03]Good afternoon, faculty, family, [music] friends, and most importantly, my fellow graduates.

[00:00:09]My name is Alejandro Gutierrez, and it is an honor to be here with you today.

[00:00:14]I want to start by being honest. When I was invited to speak today, my first thought was, "I'm not the most qualified person in this room to be given this speech."

[00:00:23]And I mean that honestly, because amongst us, we have nurses, engineers, researchers, as and business leaders.

[00:00:31]People who, while earning this degree, were running businesses, raising families, and keeping the world going.

[00:00:38]Like many of you, I began this journey while working. At the time, I was an active duty Marine.

[00:00:45]Managing missions, leading teams, and somewhere along the lines, I thought something to myself that I can only describe as a moment of pure insanity. I thought to myself, "You know what I really need right now?

[00:00:58]Homework and exams."

[00:01:01]I won't pretend I knew exactly what I was getting myself into.

[00:01:05]Starting school while on active duty was very intimidating, and I wasn't sure if both worlds could coexist.

[00:01:11]But what surprised me, and will stay with me long after today, was the faculty at Northwestern.

[00:01:17]Professors who didn't just make time for who we were outside of the classroom.

[00:01:23]They also challenged us rigorously.

[00:01:26]They And they never dropped the standard for us. And that's not an easy thing.

[00:01:32]However, it's everything that this school stands for.

[00:01:37]Yes, we are an unusual group of graduates that don't fit into the traditional image of a college student.

[00:01:44]We came to this degree with lives fully in progress, and somewhere along the way, the world may have made us feel like that was a disadvantage.

[00:01:52]However, I want to offer a different interpretation.

[00:01:56]Because the person with a diverse work experience, they're not scattered.

[00:02:00]They bring a perspective that can't be taught in a classroom.

[00:02:03]The parent on the team, they're not stretched too thin.

[00:02:07]In fact, they're the most resourceful person in that team.

[00:02:10]And the person that got their degree later in life, well, they're not behind.

[00:02:15]They're persistent. And persistence, it turns out, is the most important quality there is.

[00:02:21]Today, we close one chapter, but we close it having proved something.

[00:02:26]That we can hold complexity, carry responsibility, and still show up, still grow, and still finish.

[00:02:36]To our family and friends who supported us along the journey, thank you.

[00:02:40]Because you carried this degree, too.

[00:02:42]And to my fellow graduates, with my full heart, I can say that I'm proud to be walking this stage with you today. Because whatever's next, you've already shown that you can handle it.

[00:02:53]Thank you, and congratulations, Northwestern Class of 2026.

[00:02:57]>> [applause] >> Good afternoon, everyone.

[00:03:01]My name is Lydia Teshome, and I'm graduating today with a Master's of Science in Global Health from Northwestern University's School of Professional Studies.

[00:03:09]To my fellow graduates, faculty, families, and friends, thank you for being here to celebrate this moment with us.

[00:03:17]If there's one thing I've learned at Northwestern, it's that no journey looks the same.

[00:03:22]And mine began far from here.

[00:03:24]Born in Ethiopia, raised in the United States, and shaped by life lived between the two, never fully rooted in just one place.

[00:03:33]That experience shaped how I see the world.

[00:03:35]It taught me that people can live very different realities, and that those differences matter.

[00:03:40]I didn't always have the words for what I was seeing, but over time, those experiences became questions.

[00:03:46]Questions about equity, opportunity, and how we we better show up for one another.

[00:03:52]At the School of Professional Studies, I found a place where those questions could grow, not just into answers, but into purpose.

[00:04:00]Because SPS doesn't just teach information, it challenges us to think differently, listen more closely, and step into unfamiliar spaces with curiosity and compassion.

[00:04:12]During my practicum, I had the opportunity to work in rural communities in Uganda.

[00:04:17]One woman in particular stayed with me.

[00:04:20]During a home visit, I sat with a woman as we discussed ways to support her health.

[00:04:26]She quietly explained that what we were suggesting did not always fit her reality.

[00:04:32]In that moment, everything shifted.

[00:04:34]It became less about having the right answer and more about understanding the right question.

[00:04:40]That experience reminded me that meaningful impact, regardless of our field, is not about having all the answers.

[00:04:48]It's about being willing to listen, adapt, and meet people where they are.

[00:04:53]I think that's something all of us here can relate to.

[00:04:57]No matter what brought us to SPS or Northwestern, whether we were advancing our careers, changing paths, or pursuing a long-held goal, we all made the same decision to keep going, to keep learning, and to keep growing.

[00:05:13]We balance responsibilities, deadlines, work, family, and life happening all at once. And somehow, we're still here.

[00:05:23]What makes this moment so powerful is that every one of our journeys has been different.

[00:05:28]No matter where we started or how long it took us to get here, this achievement belongs to all of us.

[00:05:35]As we move forward into new roles, new challenges, and new chapters, I hope we carry this with us.

[00:05:42]The spaces we enter next are not just places where we work.

[00:05:46]They're places where someone is waiting to be seen, heard, and understood.

[00:05:52]And now we have the opportunity to be that difference for someone else.

[00:05:56]Not because we have all the answers, but because we're willing to show up.

[00:06:02]So, wherever your journey takes you, build something meaningful.

[00:06:06]Serve with intention, and never forget the people and experiences that brought you here.

[00:06:12]Because this degree is not just a milestone, it's a responsibility.

[00:06:17]Congratulations, class of 2026. Let's go make it count. Thank you.

[00:06:21]>> [applause]