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May 14 , 2008
By Amanda Dahlquist
Staff Writer
“You don't have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.”
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne M. Burke quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. as she challenged the graduates of the class of 2008 to be unafraid of life's challenges and of embarking upon new beginnings.
Burke was the keynote speaker at UIS' 37th annual commencement ceremony, held on May 10 at the Prairie Capital Convention Center. 715 graduates, of 1,292 eligible students, participated in this year's ceremony.
“Never in a million years did I think the staircase I was on would lead to the Illinois Supreme Court,” announced Burke. In fact, she said, “I am not sure how often in my life I have ever seen the whole staircase.” However, it is finding the first step and gathering the courage to take it that is most important, she noted.
Denean Vreeland, this year's student speaker, echoed Burke's sentiments regarding life's unknowns. “I'm certain each of us has encountered our share of surprises,” she said with a smile.
Vreeland, an online student who earned a degree in mathematics, congratulated her fellow graduates for their dedication and commitment. “Each of us here today have worked hard to reach this moment in our lives,” she declared. “You are to be commended for your accomplishments.”
Vreeland announced that she herself took pride in being able to represent non-traditional students in her role as student speaker. Though she has only visited the campus a number of times, she claimed to have felt a part of the UIS community. She was quick to thank the people in her life whose support had been both integral and instrumental as she sought her degree.
“Thank you to spouses, children, family members, and friends who have support us and sacrificed to help us reach out goals,” she said, on behalf of the graduating class.
She added tearfully, “We would not be here without you.”
Burke also acknowledged the significance other people can play in one's life, but she declared that each person has to live for oneself. “No matter what gifts or challenges we are given in life, what we encounter in the pathways before us must be tested on our own,” she said. “Guided by the good will of others, we must live life as we find it.”
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