拉里公园er 给s Commencement Address At Keuka大学

拉里公园er II, 埃尔迈拉大学 Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and 第九条 Coordinator, gave the baccalaureate address and invocation during Keuka大学’s 2023 commencement ceremonies.

对于帕克, who worked at Keuka大学 before joining EC, the invitation to speak is a testament to his many contributions to the region including his role at 埃尔迈拉大学, 作为一名作家, 他被任命为 Chemung County Human Relations Commission (CCHRC), and community service in Elmira.

"It was such an honor to be asked to be the keynote speaker at Keuka大学's baccalaureate address,帕克说。. "I cannot thank Keuka大学 enough for giving me this opportunity. To go from a high school dropout, 攻读硕士学位, 出版一本书, 攻读博士学位, and now being asked to participate in a prestigious educational institution's commencement activities, 真是太神奇了! I thank God for the opportunity."

Parker added that he was very humbled to know that 60 years earlier, the Rev. Dr. 马丁·路德·金. gave the baccalaureate address during the Keuka大学 commencement ceremony.

In his speech, Parker used the title of his book, “Get It? 明白了吗? 好!” as a framework for the advice he shared with the graduating class.

He told the graduates that to “Get It” means understanding who you are and what you are made of by seeking out and experiencing challenges. To “明白了吗” is about knowing what it will take to accomplish future goals. Parker told them to ask themselves, “什么技能, 能力, or development do I need to add as I transition into the next area of my life?”

In the final section of his speech, he said that “好!” does not mean comfortable or content, instead it means “Go!” He told the students it is ok to “bomb” their first interview or to dislike their first job. What is important is to keep going. To illustrate that point, Parker ended his speech with a quote from King.

“如果你不能飞，那就跑, 如果你不能跑，那就走吧, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."