The first question Gilbert Owuor encountered when he traveled from Kenya to Northeastern University was, “So … you’re from Kenya, huh? You speak English?”
But dealing with other people’s perceptions wasn’t the hardest lesson Owuor learned during his five years at Northeastern.
“I learned the true meaning of the phrase, ‘it’s cold outside.’ Spring is a rumor,” he said, and after standing at the Northeastern stop waiting for the E line, he learned what the “E” stands for – “elusive.”
As the student speaker at Northeastern’s 101st commencement, Owuor delivered his speech, not only in perfect English, but with a flash of flair and charisma. The packed FleetCenter did not seem to phase Owuor either. He was speaking to an audience of one … his mother, who flew 17,000 miles to see her son speak.
In fact, his mother stood up and took a bow after the 2,296 graduates rose to salute her.
“Sit down. I only have five minutes here,” he said to his mother.
Owuor warmed up the crowd immediately, and by commencement’s closing, he had stolen the show.
“The student speaker was excellent,” said Todd Campbell, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation science. “I’m not a big fan of [Christine Todd] Whitman … but she did an excellent job.”
Both Owuor and Whitman, who will resign as Environmental Protection Agency Chief on June 27, told graduates the next step in their lives is to put their knowledge to work in the real world.
“We have closed a chapter and begun our journey. It is time to harvest the fruits of our labor,” Owuor said.
Owuor admits that this is easier said than done.
“I need to find a job before I can harvest any fruits. What’s next?” he said, posing the question to his fellow graduates.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I really can’t tell you where you’re going, but I can tell you where you’re coming from. We have made Northeastern the number one co-op school in the nation.”
He stressed the importance of the multi-faceted education at NU, comparing it to two athletic teams; both are exceptionally trained by qualified coaches, the one difference is that one team has never participated in an actual game on the field. NU graduates have the advantage.
“When the teams go head-to-head, who will you put your money on?” Owuor said.
President Richard Freeland agreed with Owuor before he introduced the keynote speaker, Whitman.
“You are here today to play,” he said. “This 101st class to graduate from Northeastern, it is my deepest hope that you seek opportunity … for which you are prepared.”
Whitman agreed, saying that the “completion of four years” at NU has served the class of 2003 well. Though she seemed to have done her homework by citing Snell Library, Chicken Lou’s and Our House, Whitman angered the audience by repeatedly referring to the university as a four-year institution, rather than acknowledging its nationally recognized five-year program.
The graduates promptly corrected the former governor of New Jersey, by shouting on the third reference that they had just completed a five-year journey, not a four-year trip.
Whitman stood corrected, but continued with poise.
“Life is a marathon, not a sprint. One mistake that is easy to make is to look at life like a sprint,” she said. “It is important not to get locked into a single plan, don’t lose focus on the present, and opportunities will come to you along the way.”
Her advice to students was to harness their passion, and success will come to them.
Owuor had similar advice.
“Never set limitations, if you do, how will you ever succeed?” he said. “Life is too short for second guesses. We have used our heads for the past five years, now it is time to trust our hearts for the rest of our lives.”
Before Owuor took his seat to receive his second standing ovation of the afternoon, he had one more piece of advice:
“Always have a part of NU in you. Take this piece of NU, with you, in you.”
