Kathryn Kraft spoke to campus graduates on Saturday, May 8, 2021, as the student speaker.
First of all, I would like to thank Dr. King, Dr. Clark, Dr. Quinn, Dr. Jansen-Robinson and all of the friends, faculty and staff who have made our collective success possible. Also, to our parents and families. We thank you for your support during our four years here at The Woods. It is truly an honor to stand in front of the class of 2021 to deliver this speech.
To me, these past four years can be summed up in one word: “opportunity.” Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has provided each of us great opportunities. Perhaps you were given the opportunity to be the first person in your family to graduate college, to find a major and career path that you have fallen in love with, to meet your best friends, to become a leader, or even to win a national championship. For me, I realized my very unique opportunity here at The Woods during my sophomore year. That was the first year I was able to compete on both the Women’s Basketball team and the Hunt Seat Equestrian teams. For a large portion of my life, I had been involved in both basketball and riding horses at a high level. Each sport had provided me important experiences and memories while growing up. I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to participate in both my passions at the collegiate level.
I especially remember a specific Friday in early November 2018. Our basketball team had a six hour trip to Lexington, Kentucky, for a game that night against Midway University. This was the first official game of my sophomore year and I was starting.
After the game, we trekked the 6 hours back to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods arriving at 3 a.m. Saturday. For all of my basketball teammates, they were able to sleep in and enjoy their Saturday off. For me, I had a 5:30 a.m. wakeup call with the hunt seat team. Those two and a half hours of sleep helped me to shift my mindset from basketball to horseback riding.
That weekend was our first show of the year and my first time competing on the collegiate hunt seat team. Despite the lack of rest, I successfully competed with three first place finishes that weekend. That 12-hour window when I was able to compete for my school in two different sports, in two different states, is one of my fondest memories and something I am thankful for every day, even though in the moment I was likely sore, moody, and sleep-deprived.
By competing in two very different sports I was able to learn accountability both in a team aspect and an individual aspect. The schedule of two athletic teams challenged both my mental and physical limits at times, but also taught me how to prioritize my time and energy. Though both sports are so different, it was neat to notice the similarities in the emphasis of team unity and mental preparation in order to be successful. But possibly, most importantly both teams presented opportunities to utilize various traits needed to be an effective leader. I am forever grateful because both sports gave me a unique, challenging and fulfilling collegiate experience. These sports opportunities presented to me here at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College have not only allowed me to succeed but also to stretch and grow in ways I would not have been able to at any other institution.
Also, as a resident assistant, I was able to learn problem-solving, conflict resolution skills, and professionalism while sticking to my core value of servant leadership. I was able to delve into my interests in equine science and human health and find my true passion within those subjects. But, most importantly I have gained mentors like Dr. Penny Quinn, Dr. Debra Powell, Tabatha Taylor, Dr. Aimee Jansen-Robinson, Coach Deanna Bradley and Samantha Robinson that have taught me lessons that no textbook could. All of these experiences have shaped who I am today and aided me to walk with greater confidence.
I encourage each of us to think about our unique experiences at The Woods. What lessons have they taught us? As we speak with our favorite professors and mentors today, think about how they have challenged us to be a better person. When we look at our diploma, how have the hardest classes we have taken taught us to be strong and persevere? As we spend time with family and friends, recall how they have supported us through this journey. What have we gained from completing classes online? The value of family? What about how strong our friendships are at school? How did we persevere through our school work during the uncomfortable times? Let us reflect on the lessons learned from those moments and put them in our back pocket so we are able to, with humility, use those skills to impact the future. No matter if they are positive or negative, opportunities shape us. It is our responsibility to mold them into something useful and positive for the future.
Whatever experiences The Woods has presented to you, we all now have the chance to use this foundation as a springboard to seek new opportunities. It is now time for all of us to leave this chapter in our lives and find new chances and possibilities to transform in seemingly foreign ways. Our time here has allowed each of us to cultivate lessons and experiences we need to find success in the next stages of our lives.
As we move on to different callings, let’s remember to take the blessings we have received here at The Woods and build upon them. It is now our responsibility to use the power of education for good. I believe that good happens in a meaningful and tangible way when we help create opportunities for others.
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin calls us to, “not do all the good which is possible, but only that which we can do.” As graduates of SMWC, let’s engage with all people around us who struggle to find the time, have the financial means or family support, or even the experience to succeed. Let’s be the kind of people who lean in to those problems, into those relationships, and make paths where there were none and break down walls built to hinder others.
We have all been profoundly blessed at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and this has equipped us to succeed. As we move forward from this place, may we always strive to help those around us to be successful as well.
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