The Columbus Memorial Gymnasium has been the site of countless victories. Those victories make for the stuff of legend in the Columbus community.
In that gym, athletes have hit last-second shots to steal a victory. They have won over heavily favored opponents, won hard-fought, come-from-behind victories. Over the years, athletes have made triumphant returns, overcoming injuries and obstacles on their way to greatness.
But athletes are not the only ones to win victories and achieve greatness in the face of adversity. Perhaps the greatest triumphs at the Columbus Memorial Gymnasium are when graduates walk across the stage to earn a degree or diploma.
On May 11, Ivy Tech Community College held its annual commencement ceremony. The proceedings, filled with the required pomp and circumstance, honored academic achievement. It is a rite of passage. As graduates turn their tassels, they have triumphed. After all, commencement is a celebration of conquering obstacles. That deserves recognition.
Ivy Tech students, as well as high school and college students everywhere, face some incredible challenges in pursuit of their dreams. They take difficult classes that require discipline, dedication and time.
Ivy Tech students have to balance classes with work and life. They have to find a way to fund their education. Fighting these battles can be exhausting, sapping your strength and money.
I know several students that on their way to their degree have struggled with serious illnesses and the deaths of loved ones. Every semester, I am amazed and inspired by a student who has moved forward through sheer will and tenacity.
Tragically, some students have even been discouraged from trying to get their degree — told by some that they do not have what it takes to complete their college education. In spite of this, I have seen many students succeed.
Students can often take solace in knowing that they do not face problems alone. Teachers and staff are there to lend a hand. It often helps students to know that their teachers also had to overcome obstacles in their lives and education. Students learn that their peers are also facing some daunting challenges. This camaraderie is often the source of strength. Through these shared challenges, graduates often create lasting, life-long friendships. Time and miles apart cannot break those friendships.
Many graduates realize that they have talents and skills they never knew they had, even in subjects they once did not like or even thought were too difficult. They discover passions for new subjects and develop strategies for learning complex ideas.
Education is often more about self-discovery than learning material from a textbook or a lecture.
In facing adversity, high school and college graduates alike know they can dig deep when they need to and find the strength to persevere. Commencement is certainly not the end of life’s challenges. Graduates will face more obstacles. Through their experiences, they now know they can meet those challenges.
Every commencement shares the same features that are plain to see: the procession, speeches by VIPs, the cheering and applause as graduates walk across the stage. But there is also a subtext — how students defeated adversity to reach their dreams. Commencement is a celebration of victory.
Aaron Miller is one of The Republic’s community columnists and all opinions expressed are those of the writer. He has a doctorate in history and is an associate professor of history at Ivy Tech Community College — Columbus. Send comments to [email protected].
