Undergraduate Student Speaker

Willa Mae Williams '09
School of Graduate & Professional Studies

"To Dr. Christopher A. Davis, Dean of the School of Graduate & Professional Studies; to the distinguished faculty, administration, and honored guests; and to you, my classmates, the 2009 graduates of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies: good morning.

Life-changing decisions often come at inconvenient times. They often force people to make changes in their lives they are seldom ready to make. Although my circumstances may differ from yours, my fellow classmates, each of you has persevered which has resulted in you being here, among the graduating class of 2009.

Getting my degree was a lifelong dream. But for me, returning to school and starting at Hope in 2005 was not the best of times. It was the worst of times. Returning to school required great sacrifice; I would go on to exhaust all of my saving and deplete all of my unemployment benefits. And I would be forced to phase out a career I absolutely loved.

One evening, on my way to work, the roads were congested. The stress of commuting to and from work had already begun to affect my health. And this night, a drive that would normally take an hour and a half took four hours. I was overwhelmed. Even with planning three different driving routes to work was no help. So, sitting in traffic, feeling helpless, I called my supervisor and started reporting my location every 20 minutes until finally, I arrived at work one hour late.

The Pantages Theater, during the production of The Lion King, where I worked was in chaos: half the cast, crew, and those coming to see the play had not arrived.

It was then that I decided I would no longer live under this kind of pressure. It was then that I willed myself to make the sacrifices needed to change my life. So, I returned to school to start on the path to a new career.

There comes a time for many of us to accept that no matter how well we plan, no matter how much we organize our lives: Things take a different turn. The difficulties and challenges we face are, many times, beyond our control.

But when dealing with those challenges in my life, I relied on God. The bible says that trouble “will surely come.” However, “successfully overcoming these adversities produces maturity and strong character.” Philippians tells us not to be “anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard [our] hearts and [our] minds in Christ Jesus.”

So, I forged ahead. I forged ahead and began my program at Hope. I made adjustments and sacrifices when I needed to; I turned down work assignments to take classes; when I needed money, I took a short leave from school.

This was my routine for five years as I worked and continued my education.

At times, I was scared. Other times I was grateful, understanding how God navigated my life. I was never alone because God helped me. He put people in my life to encourage me when life was difficult. He gave me the will to persevere and the patience to go on. And it’s perseverance and patience that have helped me overcome discouragement and the fear that comes with not knowing how things will turn out. Perseverance and patience are what enabled me to travel a path that was not always clear.

Your journey will be different from mine. But as challenges come to each of you, remember that how you face those challenges is important. Remember that you are not alone. God is working on your behalf, and you will persevere with patience.

Starting out as a Hope student, I had mixed feelings. But slowly the fears I had were replaced with enthusiasm that I had made the right decision and grateful for attending college during such a time in my life.

My first class in 2005 was Strategies for Success with Professor Buddy Shoe. He made it exciting as my classmates and I learned how to manage college life and personal responsibilities. We were challenged by one question: Do you want to be successful in school? From that, I learned many things about myself. I also learned how to organize assignments which has helped me be a successful student today.

The professors at Hope International are dedicated to helping each student succeed academically. Because of Professor Shoe and other professors at Hope, I received a quality education and strengthened my Christian walk with course materials integrated with bible principles, lectures, research and field studies that were effective in helping me applying life-management strategies in both private and social matters.

I will continue my education goal to become a Clinical Psychologist. My application is presently under review at the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University in La Mirada, California. My goal is ambitious, but one I’m ready to meet.

It has been a good five years here at Hope. It’s prepared me for my next step. And I encourage each of you, the graduating class of 2009, to press on. Persevere, and do it with confidence that you can turn your dreams into realities.

There are two posters that hang in my office and where I do homework. One says: Take life one crisis at a time. The other says: The bigger the challenge, the greater the opportunity. Accomplishing your goals will take at times taking small steps. But opportunity awaits you.

In closing, to all the professors and those in the SGSP program, to the graduating class of 2009, I sincerely thank you for your dedication to helping each of us achieve academic success and equipping us to be more aggressive, more academically confident, and more equipped--in faith and the bible--to go forward in a world that needs leaders with integrity. To the administrative staff who also added to my experience here at Hope by eagerly assisting me when I struggled to accomplish assignments and projects. From the entire SGSP graduating class, we thank you for your dedication to being of service.

And, finally, the SGSP graduating class of 2009, those who attended classes on campus or at off-site locations, and my classmates online: I challenge each of you today to continue to persevere and have patience. Thank you."