Honorary doctorate awarded to Sidney DeBoer
By Morgan Rothborne, Ashland.news
Southern Oregon University’s 98th graduation ceremony began Saturday morning with marching columns of students in gowns watched by an audience, cheering and blowing kisses. A few dabbed crumpled tissues to their eyes.
“Many of those walking today were denied that honor four years ago,” said Casey Shillam, provost and vice president of academic and student affairs at SOU, referring to when the students graduated high school sans ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This time, they walked with distinction. The majority of the 1,300 degrees awarded this year earned academic honors as well. Shillam asked those graduating summa cum laude to stand; nearly a third stood. She asked for magna cum laude; nearly another third. When she asked for the cum laude students, what looked like the majority of the class of 2024 stood at their chairs.
President Rick Bailey addressed the class with a riff off of a paraphrased quote from Eleanor Roosevelt.
“‘Any time you give love, that in and of itself is an education.’ Well I think the converse is also true. That anytime you share education, that is an act of love. We see it every day here at Southern Oregon University. … Today’s celebration ultimately is a celebration of love,” he said.
Bailey then awarded Sidney B. DeBoer with an honorary doctorate in humane letters for his contributions to the university.
“You gave the mic to a used car salesman and I’m so honored,” DeBoer said.
He said he would repurpose some of his previous speech to SOU’s graduating class at SOU of 1999.
“Getting ready is what you just did. You put the effort in, you worked hard to get your degree and to make your mark in your life and I congratulate you. …. Do something. Take what you’ve got and go — don’t keep aiming, don’t keep getting ready, it’s your moment every day when you get up,” he said.
He admitted he is not a patient person by nature. But, he added, the way to live well is to exercise one’s strengths as well as one’s weaknesses and that every morning he “puts on a coat” of patience.
Edward Minasian was the first of three students chosen to speak to their fellow soon-to-be graduates.
“We are the architects laying the foundation of our future one day at a time,” he said.
Loving relationships make life worthwhile, but they are also the ones needed to assist in building that structure, he said. He emphasized a fierce pride in his family heritage in Armenia and said from every family member he learned different virtues and values that have carried him from a little boy who spoke Russian but not English struggling to learn at Helman Elementary School to speaking at his own commencement in English after earning a degree in English.
Emilio McCutcheon reflected on his own challenging path to learning. Growing up in foster care while being “deaf with a capital D,” left him feeling insufficient until a teacher taught him to see his potential. His degree in psychology will enable him to follow her example and work to offer others the same support he needed. He encouraged his class to always seek to lift others up.
“Everything we do has an influence on someone else. … It’s so easy to feel unsure if you’re making an impact, but know if you’re consistent, if you are supportive and if you are encouraging, then you will have a positive effect on other people’s lives. You can and you will make a difference,” he said.
Mini Pieper was the only woman graduating with a degree in computer science. For most every project or work experience she has been the only female. Instead of allowing this to isolate or discourage her, she said she learned confidence and how to be determined. In applying those values through life, it can become easier to accept the guaranteed unknown.
“Life is full of uncertainty and that is what makes it an adventure,” she said.
As graduates walked the stage and took their diplomas, one student showed particular determination to receive his bachelor’s degree in political science.
“After a nine-year break, I’m glad it’s over,” said Ashland City Councilor Dylan Bloom.
Email Ashland.news reporter Morgan Rothborne at [email protected].
