Cap and Gown Convocation Speech

President Carriuolo, Vice President Penfield, Vice President Pitt, Deans, Department Chairs, Faculty colleagues , Officers of the Class of 2010, graduating seniors of the Class of 2010 and their families and friends:

I was very pleased to receive the invitation to be the faculty speaker at this year's Cap and Gown convocation.

Quickly the pleasure was replaced by a question: "What will I say?"

Cap and gown Convocation is an important annual event with a twofold purpose. One: to recognize the outstanding academic achievements of graduation seniors and, two: to invest the graduating seniors with the symbols of graduation – the cap and gown.

On this significant occasion, I wanted my remarks to be significant. I also wanted my presentation to be relevant. This is the first time that a nursing professor has been invited to be the Convocation speaker. The invitation is particularly timely as this year is the 40th anniversary of the beginning of the nursing program at Rhode Island College.

My challenge then, was to say something significant that was also relevant to nursing.

In the nursing program, students learn that health is not just lack of illness. Rather, health is a dynamic state, resulting from the successful and complex interaction of the physical, psychological, social, cultural and spiritual aspects of life. The goal of nursing is to help people to achieve that holistic view of health.

I considered possible topics – a number of ideas passed through my mind, but that's all they did – they passed through my mind.

Then on my drive to campus one morning, I heard a song on XM radio that literally struck a chord in my mind. The song is "I Wish I Could Go Back to College," from the Broadway musical, "Avenue Q." It has been described as an adult version of Sesame Street. The characters, primarily puppets, are in their 20s and 30s. They speak and sing about the adult challenges they are facing – challenges that can impact their lives and their health.

The first two stanzas of the song set the stage for my message today.

Three characters are in the scene: Kate Monster, an assistant kindergarten teacher, Nicky, a sweet, messy, jobless young man and Princeton, a recent college graduate. Lamenting their changes in their lives, they sing:

I wish I could go back to college

Life was so simple then

What would I give to go back and live

In a dorm room with a meal plan again.

I wish I could go back to college

In college you know who you are

You sit in the quad and thing. "Oh my God!

I am totally going to go far!

Why do these characters want to go back to college?

College can be synonymous with what's known and familiar and comfortable. The characters in "Avenue Q" are each experiencing a transition.

Every transition begins with and ending. For each of you like the character, Princeton, in "Avenue Q," your current ending is graduation from Rhode Island College. All the people in the auditorium have experienced transitions. During transitions, there is a tendency to feel uncomfortable and insecure – each transition is accompanied by disruption as well as uncertainty and a fear of letting go of what's known.

Life is a series of transitions. They can be positive or negative, planned or unexpected.

Some transitions occur without warning and some may be quite dramatic. Other life transitions come from positive experiences such as graduation from college, starting a new job, getting married, moving to a new location, buying a new house, or giving birth to a child. As life progresses, transitions can include seeing children go off to college or watching them move away from home, retiring from work, or downsizing.

Even though life events like these are usually planned and anticipated, they can be just as life-altering as the unexpected events. Whether positive or negative, life transitions require that we leave behind the familiar and force us to adjust to new ways of living. They can leave us feeling unprepared, and we may feel shocked, angry, sad, and even become withdrawn.

Some transitions are a normal and expected part of life, we cannot avoid them. We need practical strategies to manage them. Successful management of life transitions can contribute to maintaining good health.

If there is a sequel to the musical "Avenue Q," I would like the writers to consider including the following rhyme I have written. In the rhyme, I share my practical strategies for making successful transitions.

The following message is for the characters of "Avenue Q": Kate Monster, Nicky, Princeton and each of you!