Push, purpose and perseverance are keys to success, provost and vice president tells University of Richmond Continuing Studies graduates
May 12, 2007
The School of Continuing Studies commencement began with 33 seconds of silence for the lives lost in the Virginia Tech tragedy. "We pray for peace in these 33 seconds," said Kate O'Dwyer Randall, acting chaplain for the University of Richmond. Graduates wore ribbons in remembrance of the Virginia Tech victims.
June R. Aprille, provost and vice president for academic affairs at University of Richmond, told the university's School of Continuing Studies graduates this morning that graduation was just the beginning of a lifetime of learning.
After 24 years with Tufts University, Aprille joined the University of Richmond staff in 2001.
Aprille said she spoke with some of the graduates to learn the keys to their success. After speaking with them, she said she realized the graduates had to follow three "P's" to keep focused—push, purpose and perseverance.
"It usually takes a little push to get started," she said. "For some, I suppose encouragement came from other people—family members, friends, employers and so on. But for some I talked to, the push was from inside—a little voice saying, 'you should do this, you can do this, go for it.'"
She illustrated the importance of coupling the "push" with action by using a humorous anecdote about a professor who faithfully prayed to God every day saying, "Please let me win the lottery."
"Finally after many months," she said, "a voice called out, 'Professor—give me a break! I cannot help you win if you do not buy a ticket!"
While the "push" helped graduates get started, she said knowing their true purpose was key to the graduates' ability to remain focused on their end goals.
"Without a true purpose, it is much harder to keep going when difficulty arises," she said.
Perseverance was also a quality the graduates shared, she said. She pointed out one graduate who remained focused for 16 years in pursuit of her bachelor's degree. Another graduate, she said, only missed one weekend session during her college career in the university's weekend college program—the weekend after she'd had a baby.
In her closing remarks, Aprille said, "Remember this old saying—'If at first you succeed, try harder.'"
Student speaker Dianne Foster St. John, who received her bachelor of liberal arts degree summa cum laude, encouraged her fellow graduates to keep learning. "Whatever path you choose, remain on the educational highway," she said.
Also speaking were Jada P. Banks, adjunct professor of Continuing Studies and recipient of the 2007 Itzkowitz Family Distinguished Faculty Award and Connie E. Harvey, recipient of the 2007 Gibb Family Distinguished Alumni Award.