President Samarasekera: 2015 Spring Convocation Address
Come with me, if you will, on an imaginative journey. Leave pomp and circumstance for just a moment and cast your mind back to your first day at the University of Alberta.
Who were you then? What hopes did you have?
Did you feel a bit overwhelmed arriving on campus? A little unsure about whether you were in the right program, let alone the right building? Or did you feel like you were finally in the right place, ready to become the person you wanted to be?
We all have our own unique University of Alberta beginning.
I’ll never forget one of my first days as president. I was feeling confident and excited, convinced that I was ready to take on the biggest challenge of my life. So out I went during orientation week to speak to students and hand out some U of A goodies. Having just done the research for my interview, I was keen to see what they knew about their university.
“When was the U of A founded?” I asked one bright-eyed student. “1779,” he responded with great certainty. I suggested he try a history course.
I asked another student, “Who was the first president of the U of A?” I received a blank look. After a few seconds, the student said, “And who are you?” I asked, “Who do you think I am?” Her face brightened and she said, “You must be the Students’ Union president!”
How flattering to be mistaken for a 20-year-old, but I knew right then that I had work to do.
Having the title of president was one thing. Becoming a leader she could respect and recognize—that I would have to earn.
And so my own U of A education began.
Today we celebrate the educational journey that you and I began on that first day. The U of A has taught me more than I thought possible. I hope you feel the same. In past years, I’ve had to rely on memories of my own convocation to find the words of advice I’d like to share today.
But this year, it’s different. This year, after 10 years as president, I too am leaving the U of A. Like many of you, I’m not entirely sure what I’m doing next.
I’m even moving back in with my family. Well, to be honest, it’s my daughter and her family who are moving in with me while they have house renovations done. But right about now, without a definite plan, it feels frighteningly close to moving back into the basement.
So here we are, you and I, excited and apprehensive at the same time.
It’s been such a privilege for me to lead this great university and to see so many talented graduates cross the stage. When I reflect on the last decade, my main aim as a person and as your president has been to set myself and every student on a journey to excellence. Today is just the first stop for you on that lifetime endeavour.
I believe that excellence is not merely rooted in ambition and achievement, as many people think, but in something quite different. It is not about your grade point average or academic awards—in fact, it’s not a goal at all. Instead, seeking excellence is a process or a way of living your life—excellence is that point on the horizon giving you direction.
I first learned from my father, who was an ear, nose and throat specialist in Sri Lanka. Every day, he toiled away caring for thousands of extremely poor patients. Faced with this daily grind, my father might have chosen to treat his patients quickly, doing only what was necessary to help them out the door, without thinking deeply about their chronic illnesses. But he was a person who sought excellence in everything he did; “good enough” was not in his repertoire.
In my youth, he uncovered a bioelectric disturbance in the inner ear which caused debilitating dizziness. He then devised a minor operation to treat the condition, which brought unimaginable relief to his patients. I was only a teenager, but I was struck by his passion and deep caring for his patients. His daily caring had translated into excellence. His actions remind me of a favourite quote:
“Excellence can be attained if you risk more than others think is safe, care more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.”
Here at the U of A, I have continued to learn this lesson many times over.
As you launch your careers, I would like to be able to assure you that, with thoughtful planning, the journey towards excellence goes in a straight line. But it doesn’t. No doubt you already know this. Life constantly surprises us.
Good or bad—sometimes you can feel completely derailed by the unexpected. It’s how we respond to and learn from these surprises that is our true test.
Start by using the skills you’ve gained over your degree. Approach every problem—and opportunity—with both critical thinking skills and imagination. Connect the dots between ideas and people.
Pay attention to details that others may have missed. Read and do research so that you can understand the full context of the issue. Seek alternative perspectives—yours alone will never provide a full picture.
This last point is important. Your generation is often touted as the most connected generation in human history. Hard to imagine, but when I became president, social media was so new that no one really knew it existed yet. Communications technology has made all of our lives infinitely easier. I can send an email, Skype into a meeting, or text a quick instruction—and things get done. But I’ve learned that we can sometimes mistake efficiency for quality.
Without face-to-face communication—which engages all five of our senses—technology can sometimes dehumanize and create misunderstanding. You may get things done but you may find that you’re doing them alone. As an African proverb teaches:
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.”
I think of my father and the thousands of conversations he had with his patients—nothing would have come of them, if he hadn’t been listening with his whole self.
The University of Alberta has a deep, resonant spirit and purpose that injects this kind of human connection into the heart of all we do. It goes back to our first president, Henry Marshall Tory, and his call for us to be a university for the uplifting of the whole people.
His call resonated in 1908, perhaps because Alberta’s pioneers had risked more than others thought wise and believed they could build a better future for themselves and others.
Tory’s call has grown stronger in our awareness that this particular place has a much deeper history of being a gathering place where Aboriginal Peoples of many nations came together for centuries in both spiritual and economic harmony. They knew that only by caring more than others think wise can we survive and prosper.
This fierce pride in community—and its corresponding commitment to serve and uplift others—are hardwired into the U of A. They are now a part of me. They are now a part of you. They give our journey towards excellence a deeper meaning.
Graduands, each one of you has your own particular U of A story. Continue to live out that story with purpose and vision. I ask you to risk more, care more, dream more, and expect more of yourself than you thought possible.
And always remember: By seeking for excellence and striving to fulfil your highest potential, you can and will become a person who uplifts others and makes the human community better for all.
Congratulations and good luck!
