On behalf of the Division of Student Affairs, congratulations on your graduation from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Our community shares in your joy over this great accomplishment. You have already achieved a noteworthy distinction and should be proud of your perseverance in reaching this milestone! Our lives are full of transitions and the roads we travel on this journey are full of unique challenges. These challenges test our ability to think, react, evaluate and learn in an increasingly fast-paced and complex world.
As you depart from UNCW to traverse life’s journeys, you have a better understanding of the context in which you exist, are able to measure the effect of your behavior and efforts on the environment and those who inhabit it, and are conscious of the implications of your decisions on our global society. Our faculty and staff hope the challenges and support you experienced during your time with UNCW accelerated and maximized your development in a manner that will have a life-long impact. We hope the community you’ve experienced here has helped you see how UNCW exemplifies its commitment to its Cornerstone values.
Your degree represents more than an accumulation of credit hours. It represents the development of necessary life skills and a congruent set of values that have equipped you to contribute and lead in a complex and diverse world. A UNCW graduate is distinct. We graduate engaged learners who foster human dignity through civility and respect, who have a distinguished character and are committed to truth and integrity. We hope you have learned to value and advance the importance of embracing differences as a critical force for improving the human condition. We hope you continue to recognize your responsibility to build community and demonstrate that involvement through service. May you also continue to develop a sense of understanding and purpose through acceptance of your spiritual nature and remain committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle based on sound principles of physical and emotional well-being.
The UNCW experience has made these principles a way of life. Carry these principles with you always. Remember to be courageous, yet humble, assertively curious and self-reflective of your strengths and limitations. Let your words and actions serve as a positive role model for children and peers, and always attempt to give some of what you earn to those less fortunate. Realize that true wealth is measured in the quality of relationships you build, not the monetary empires you conquer. Let the UNCW Cornerstone continue to become a set of values for your life’s journey.
Again, congratulations and thank you for your contributions to UNCW. We are proud to call you a lifelong member of our UNCW family!
Mike Walker
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Dean of Students
