...and just like that it's over. I'm officially and alumnus of the University of Illinois - WHAT!? I keep looking at the cornfields and suburbia around me and take a second look, expecting to see the palm trees and mountains around Barcelona. It's definitely a bit of a culture shock and will take some time getting used to.
Speaking of shocks, I had my first public speaking experience this past weekend, having the honor of speaking at my commencement ceremony. I had been thinking of doing it ever since watching my brother's graduation at Purdue last May, and I thought it was such a unique experience to be able to speak in front of your peers and inspire them. So, porque no?
I started drafting out ideas during my trip to Croatia over the Easter break. What I could I tell 100 or so of my fellow archies that could inspire them to achieve greatness in their future careers? I wrote in my journal at any chance I got, but by the time I came home and started typing there wasn't anything special about it. Well, that's nothing a little coffee and Baileys can't help, well, the Spanish version that is, and I basically did a physical memory dump onto Microsoft Word. When I read over what I had the next morning, somehow I had a real speech...after some slight editing here and there.
I wanted to tell my peers, my friends, that even though we have a degree in architecture, we shouldn't feel like we're confined to being just architects. With an architecture degree, you can do anything you want, because we've learned valuable skills - problem-solving, communication, thinking outside the box, collaboration - that will help us be successful in whatever we do; the only limitation is ourselves.
It was quite nerve-racking the day of - I had never spoken in front of that many people before! Not to mention seeing faces I hadn't seen for 9 months all in the same room right before the ceremony...it was a lot to take in. But after a few deep breaths, words of encouragement from friends, and a wonderful introduction from my Barcelona pal, Nick, I found a way to get comfortable at that podium, speaking to a bunch of bright lights and dark faces. Before I knew it, it was over! Life is full of experiences, and this is one I am glad to have under my belt.
I started drafting out ideas during my trip to Croatia over the Easter break. What I could I tell 100 or so of my fellow archies that could inspire them to achieve greatness in their future careers? I wrote in my journal at any chance I got, but by the time I came home and started typing there wasn't anything special about it. Well, that's nothing a little coffee and Baileys can't help, well, the Spanish version that is, and I basically did a physical memory dump onto Microsoft Word. When I read over what I had the next morning, somehow I had a real speech...after some slight editing here and there.
I wanted to tell my peers, my friends, that even though we have a degree in architecture, we shouldn't feel like we're confined to being just architects. With an architecture degree, you can do anything you want, because we've learned valuable skills - problem-solving, communication, thinking outside the box, collaboration - that will help us be successful in whatever we do; the only limitation is ourselves.
It was quite nerve-racking the day of - I had never spoken in front of that many people before! Not to mention seeing faces I hadn't seen for 9 months all in the same room right before the ceremony...it was a lot to take in. But after a few deep breaths, words of encouragement from friends, and a wonderful introduction from my Barcelona pal, Nick, I found a way to get comfortable at that podium, speaking to a bunch of bright lights and dark faces. Before I knew it, it was over! Life is full of experiences, and this is one I am glad to have under my belt.
As I look back on the past four years, I can't help but look forward as well. Though my time in Barcelona and Champaign-Urbana is over, a new chapter is about to begin. I've got a great internship this summer in Chicago (which hopefully I'll be able to share over the next few months) and new adventures awaiting me at the University of Maryland this fall. So join me for my next adventures in the months ahead!