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“I want to encourage you in the climb you’ve accomplished,” Hannah said, “and the climb still ahead.”

Hannah spoke during both the undergraduate and graduate ceremonies in Selland Arena in downtown 91��Ƭ. A total of 854 students were eligible to graduate, of which 458 were undergraduate students and 396 were graduate students. Over 12,000 attendees joined the graduates in person, while another 4,500 watched online. 

Three parts to a rite of passage

According to Hannah, every rite of passage in life is made up of three parts: the ending, the in-between and the new beginning. 

Ending

By the very nature of an ending, things are left behind. Hannah recognized that endings can cause a range of emotions, from nostalgia to grief, and in the case of the graduates, likely a good deal of relief. “Feel all the feels,” Hannah said, “because for a new thing to begin, something else must end.”

Endings, however, are actually the beginning of the transition process.

“You must let go in order to move forward,” she said.

In-between

The in-between is a period of uncertainty and waiting. As students sat and listened, they had already finished their coursework and yet still had not received their diplomas. They were no longer students, but not yet graduates. “I know some of you are thinking, ‘The faster she finishes this speech, the faster we’ll graduate,’” Hannah said to laughs.

But there is value in waiting.

“The most important changes of your life happen during the in-between,” Hannah said. “So wait well.”

New beginning

Even after a rite of passage is completed, it doesn’t mark the final end, but the beginning of a new journey.

“The completion of your rite of passage is to step forward,” Hannah said. 

Hannah also reminded students that they don’t face this journey by themselves. “We do not reach summits alone,” she said. “We do not achieve our greatest moments without support. Never forget; God is a guide who will never fail.”

As FPU graduates reached their current summit, they were reminded to look and see the help that God and others have given them. As they begin a new journey, Hannah encouraged them to look for others they could help along the way.

“The question is not just what you will achieve,” she said. “Will you use your life to help others reach their summits too?”

Ultimately, graduates were encouraged to keep moving forward. “Do not shy away from the journey. God is with you. Release what has been. End well. Wait gratefully in the in-between. Then, walk on and walk steady.”