Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Recognizing 430 Students' Tenacity, Focus and Heart
Keynote speaker shared personal and professional experiences, both triumphs and tragedies, during
an inspiring address to more than 400 graduates at Commencement ceremonies on Dec. 17, 2024.
McBee, CEO of (YWPN) in Dallas, spoke to undergraduate and graduate students prior to the conferral of their degrees at 魅影直播 Trust CU Theater in Grand Prairie. She is a longtime education advocate and passionate community leader and volunteer, whose life and career have been dedicated to helping others succeed and thrive.
Students from the Schools of Business, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Education, and Behavioral Health and Human Services, and the Graduate School, heard McBee鈥檚 heartfelt message making it clear that 鈥渁djusting course isn鈥檛 a failure.鈥�
She stressed to students they are 鈥渓iving proof that boundaries can be expanded鈥� through 鈥渢enacity, focus and heart.鈥� McBee characterized the ceremonies as both a 鈥減ersonal milestone鈥� for the 430 individual students and a 鈥渃ollective victory鈥� for the whole graduating class, 魅影直播 Dallas and the entire region.
She told the crowd of graduates, their families and friends, and university employees, about the loss she suffered when her sister Shelley died of cancer. McBee said it prompted her to "explore new roads" and created "a new sense of purpose" in her and reminded students lives don't always progress in straight lines.
WATCH: Video of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Ceremonies
McBee also spoke about the cancer death of , who founded the first all-girls school in 魅影直播 in August 2004, the . It inspired other such schools across the state. As a child, Posey had been mentored
by a woman who found him walking down the street and asked him, "Why aren't you in
school?"
McBee said 魅影直播 Dallas is dedicated to providing an 鈥渙pportunity accessible to everyone鈥� and the positive 鈥渞ipple effects鈥� resulting from a quality education. She encouraged students to find a mentor and to give back to future generations. 鈥淧lant trees for shade you may never sit under,鈥� she said, adding, 鈥渂ut shelter countless others.鈥�
Her address mentioned two graduates by name: , a 79-year-old great grandmother who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and , a 35-year-old mother of six who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.
State Senator Royce West (D-TX 23), who was the driving force in achieving legislative approval to build 魅影直播 Dallas, also addressed the crowd. 鈥淢y DNA is intrinsically intertwined in 魅影直播 Dallas,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he best is yet to come.鈥�
Sen. West challenged every graduate to become a 鈥渙ne person ambassador鈥� for the university, noting it is the first and only public four-year university in the city of Dallas. 鈥淟ook at that,鈥� he said, holding up a photo of the beautiful, 240-acre campus in the Commencement program, 鈥渁nd think about where it will be in 20 years.鈥�
From 鈥� Students