Words of Wisdom to the Class of 2020 from Your Alumni Community

C o n g r a t u la t io n s o n y o u r a c h ie v e m e n t ! F o r m a n y o f y o u , t h is m a r k s t h e e n d o f y o u r fo rm a l e d u c a t io n a n d t h e s t a r t o f a n e n t ire ly n e w c h a p t e r o f y o u r life . A s e x c it in g a s t h a t s h o u ld b e , I im a g in e t h a t y o u m a y a ls o b e fi lle d w it h t re p id a t io n , p a r t ic u la r ly d u e t o t h e c u r re n t e c o n o m ic e n v iro n m e n t a n d o t h e r u n c e r t a in t ie s t h a t a re p re v a le n t in t h e w o r ld r ig h t n o w . M y o n ly a d v ic e fo r y o u is t o b e lie v e t h a t t h is t o o s h a ll p a s s , b e c a u s e it w ill. T im e w ill m a r c h o n a n d t h e re w ill b e m a n y m o re e x c it in g m ile s t o n e s a h e a d fo r y o u s u c h a s : S t a r t in g y o u r fi r s t jo b a s a lic e n s e d O D a n d t r a n s it io n in g f ro m m e n t e e t o m e n t o r. S a v in g a life b y d e t e c t in g a p re v io u s ly u n d ia g n o s e d s y s t e m ic d is e a s e . S e t t lin g in t o y o u r life a s a p ro fe s s io n a l a n d m a y b e s t a r t in g a f a m ily . P a y in g y o u r s t u d e n t lo a n (s ) o ff a n d w r it in g s o m e e n c o u r a g in g w o rd s fo r t h e C la s s o f 2 0 4 0 . I t is t r u ly h a rd t o b e lie v e t h a t 2 0 y e a r s h a v e p a s s e d s in c e I w a s in y o u r s h o e s . D u r in g t h a t t im e , w e h a v e b e e n t h ro u g h t e r ro r is t a t t a c k s , w a r s a n d re c e s s io n s , a n d t h in g s h a v e n ’t a lw a y s g o n e t h e w a y I h a d p la n n e d w h e n I g r a d u a t e d . B u t , b e c o m in g a n o p t o m e t r is t h a s lit e r a lly s h a p e d m y life a n d I a m s o v e r y g r a t e fu l fo r it , a s I a m s u re y o u w ill b e t o o , n o m a t t e r w h a t life h a s in s t o re fo r y o u . S o , g e t o u t t h e re , e n jo y t h e jo u r n e y , a n d m a k e u s a ll p ro u d ! Joe Rappon, 2000