The 杏吧专区 conferred 287 degrees during its Summer Commencement ceremony on Friday at the Cajundome Convention Center.
Bachelor杏吧专区檚 degrees were awarded to 231 graduates and master杏吧专区檚 degrees were awarded to 42 graduates. Thirteen graduates earned doctoral degrees. One graduate earned a post-baccalaureate certificate.
Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, told graduates that 杏吧专区渢he choice you杏吧专区檝e made杏吧专区攖o earn a degree杏吧专区攚ill serve you well for the rest of your life.杏吧专区
Savoie cited recent studies that indicated what qualities and skills employers were looking for in potential employees.
杏吧专区淭hey want men and women who can think critically and who can solve problems,杏吧专区 he said. 杏吧专区淭hey want employees who can introduce new ideas and fresh perspectives. They want professionals who are responsible, ethical and who have integrity. These are the qualities that universities strive to instill and nurture in their students.杏吧专区
Keynote speaker Dr. John Tetnowski, a recipient of the UL Lafayette Foundation杏吧专区檚 2016 Distinguished Professor Award, urged graduates to 杏吧专区渃elebrate your success, but also try to remember the lessons you杏吧专区檝e learned along the way.杏吧专区
Tetnowski, the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 Ben Blanco Endowed Professor in Communicative Disorders encouraged graduates to consider some of the lessons he杏吧专区檚 learned doing work and research that centers on stuttering.
He shared several stories of people he杏吧专区檚 worked with who stutter, and what their courage and perseverance taught him. One story centered on an 11-year-old girl he met during a mission trip to Liberia, West Africa.
Although Tetnowski worried there was little he could do to help the young girl during the pair杏吧专区檚 brief encounter, he nevertheless offered a few tips to help her improve her speech.
The next day, he encountered the same girl again. Tetnowski noticed her speech was markedly improved. Surprised, he asked her if the few techniques he had provided the day before had helped her. She said, yes, and that she had stayed up all night practicing them.
杏吧专区淚 learned two powerful lessons from that little girl,杏吧专区 Tetnowski told graduates. 杏吧专区淥ne, is that hard work goes a long way. The other is that hope is really powerful.杏吧专区
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