Congratulations Graduates

 

A Message from Program Director Victor Law

I want to express my warmest congratulations to all the OILS graduates.   We are proud of your achievements.  It’s not an easy journey, and you did it.  Congratulations! 
 
When I think about the theme of this year’s convocation speech, two words come to my mind: resiliency and hope.  We experienced two years of COVID.  Even though our students are good at online learning, your work life and personal life were greatly impacted due to COVID.  It’s not easy for our students to balance work, life, and study.  Some of us had young kids who could not go to school. Some of us had elderly parents to take care of.  Some of us even contracted COVID ourselves.  It’s not easy for all of us.  But your resiliency propels you to cross the finish line.  Congratulations! This attribute will also help you to face any other challenges in front of you. 
 
The second theme is hope.  When I walked into the Zimmerman library, I saw a long line in front of Starbucks.  The aroma of coffee reminded me of some goodness of life (even though I don’t drink coffee myself).  The drop in COVID cases as well as hospitalization gives us hope that we may return to a “new normal” soon.  As a professional in instructional design/online learning, I can say this new normal can be exciting for us (at least professionally).  I am confident that all of our graduates can build a better future for New Mexico, the United States and the world.  Go Lobos!