Honored Students
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Kaleb Christensen, BIO
To my fellow Cougars,
I wish to express gratitude for the support and comradery that has been shared in our class over the last several years. Although such a time can be solemn as we move on from these remarkable years, let us take comfort in the fact that because of these years, our lives will be forever changed—forever better. The knowledge we have gained has changed our behaviors, thoughts, and perceptions. Indeed, we now have more power to affect change in the world. My deepest hope is that we will not shy away from the opportunities and tasks ahead of us. Rather, let us step into the future, content only with creating the change in the world that we want to see—that God wants to see. God is on our side and will be our help. I wish to make a promise to each of you that I will live so as to represent BYU well as I go out into the world. I recognize (as should we all) that our image in now BYU’s image. We represent all who belong to the BYU family. Let us all live honorable lives that we might pay homage to our great founder, Karl G. Maeser.
Rachel Hughes, PWS
Congratulations on your graduation!
Completing your degree indicates that you have learned how to learn. Your education at BYU is just the beginning of what can be a life of learning. Remember your experiences, as well as the professors, mentors, family members, TAs and other significant individuals that helped you get this far. Most importantly, remember to pay it forward. Provide others with the opportunities and mentoring that was so graciously offered to us. Secondly, you don’t have to know everything that you want right now. You also don’t have to have the perfect career plan right now. Allow yourself the time and experiences that you need to properly make decisions about your future. Finally, remember that your degree becomes most meaningful when you use it to bless and improve the lives of others. You entered, you learned, and now you get to decide in what capacity you will serve.
David Hoyt, EXSC
Congratulations, Cougs!
After struggling alongside you for the past four years (or more), I am sincerely proud of each of us for making it to this point. While we have learned a great deal about the world and how it functions, the most important things we have learned likely did not come from a course syllabus. There were no classes on work ethic, dedication, integrity, humility, teamwork, or relationships, yet these lessons are what made college truly worthwhile to me—along with getting a glimpse into how God designed us. I hope you take the time to reflect on what it is that made your BYU experience worth the time, money, and effort. We see now more than ever the need for informed, selfless peacemakers in an otherwise chaotic world. Let us use our experiences here to lift and serve the communities we are headed to next.
Jordan Marshall, PH
Well, we’ve made it. We’re graduating. There may not be a ceremony, but in lieu of that, I’d like to offer my sincerest congratulations to all of you! Whether you are the first person in your family to graduate from college or generations of your family members have been BYU graduates, I’m sorry that we won’t have a chance to officially end this chapter together. Making it to this point is a great accomplishment! It is an especially exciting time for all of us in the Public Health Department. An oft-repeated joke in the department is that nobody recognizes public health’s successes; people only recognize the necessity of our profession when we mess up. Right now is one of those rare times when everybody is thinking about public health. Despite the challenges we are currently facing, I find hope in the promises of church leaders that we will overcome this crisis. Good luck in all your future endeavors!
Zachary Ewell, MMBIO
First off, I want to congratulate all the students graduating from the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology! These past four years have been the greatest four years of my entire life. Walking into my first class in 2016, I never could have imagined that I would come to appreciate abstract expressionism, be able to draw the human circulatory system on a notebook page from memory, or understand that cancer is really a microevolutionary process occurring in all of us throughout our lives. Continuous learning and applying our knowledge to help others are godly attributes that constitute eternal progression. Because of this, we must always strive to continue honing our learning skills, pushing the bounds of our knowledge until they ultimately encompass the entire earth. We congratulate ourselves for making it this far, completing an important segment of our lives. Still, I urge you to keep pushing forward, developing the right trajectory that will propel you throughout the eternities.
Audrey Morgan, NDFS
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
I want to send love to all my food science peers, lab coworkers, and family. I am so grateful that I chose to be part of this program. I love the food science club, the Sensory Lab, and especially my wonderful professors. From touring a cookie factory in commodities, to making endless amounts of cake in the 251 lab, to microwaving everything imaginable in engineering, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my entire experience. Graduating, especially now, can feel extremely uncertain. The verse in Romans above has been a strength for me when I feel anxious. A testimony and perspective of the eternal plan and His purpose for me has helped abate my doubts, love others more, and have faith that things will indeed work out.
Jacob Smith, PDBIO
Congratulations, fellow graduates and friends!
This is a moment to be proud of: four years of intense effort, long nights, early mornings, getting a spot in a research lab, trying to get out of organic chemistry lab, and elevated heart rates as we hiked up to campus past the Life Science Building. These are but a few of the common experiences that we shared as College of Life Sciences graduates. However, what truly unites us is our shared experience as scholars of faith and science. I hope that each of you have had mentors and teachers that have taught you how to balance these two interconnecting principles as I have had. I am grateful for those mentors, teachers, and peers that have helped me develop my toolset for evaluating and acting on evidence of all types. This will enable us to share light with those around us in the years to come. We have learned; now go forth and serve! Go Cougars!