Good morning, faculty, staff, friends, families, and fellow graduates.
My name is Sarah Glover, and it is an honor to welcome you here today to Briar Cliff’s 2025 commencement ceremony.
It’s hard to believe that we are finally here, ready to move on from this chapter and take our next steps into the unknown. Today symbolizes the rewards of so many experiences, lessons, changes, and challenges that have shaped who we are. But before we dive into the world beyond the walls of Briar Cliff, I want to reflect on how we got here, because I know that many of us have overcome struggles just to get to today.
Like many of you, my first day here on campus was one of the hottest days of the year and I was moving into a dorm with no air conditioning and no elevator. To be honest with you, I was barely halfway moved in, already overwhelmed and homesick and ready to get in the car, drive down that hill, and never look back.
And even though it was difficult, I stuck it out. After all, Briar Cliff is the closest university to my parents' house, and I was going to be homesick no matter where I went. In fact, Briar Cliff is closer to my parents' house than my high school was.
It wasn’t always easy; I spent most of my first semester feeling out of place trying to figure out where I belonged and find my group of friends. I still felt that pull to go home, back to my comfort zone where I had my routines and my people and I didn’t have to do hard things.
But over time, I realized that the discomfort, changes, and struggles I was facing, weren’t things to avoid, they were things to embrace and helped shape me into who I am today.
This small university with its quirky traditions, was exactly what I needed to grow.
Over the last four years, I transformed from an introvert who could barely say hello to someone on the way to class, to the extrovert standing before you today, who can’t stop talking and is often running late because of it. I found a place where I felt like I finally fit in and was able to step outside of my comfort zone and in doing that I found my voice and my confidence.
It’s these moments of growth that helped me to understand that faith plays a crucial role in our journey. We learned that change, while difficult, is also a part of God’s plan for us.There were times when we struggled, but it was our faith, whether it was in God or each other, that got us through. The knowledge that God is walking beside us every step of the way, guiding our paths even when we can’t see what’s ahead is something that will stay with me long after we leave here today.
Here at Briar Cliff, everywhere we go we hear about our Franciscan values, and we see them posted around campus. We even have a class called “Franciscan Values”. No one leaves this place without knowing about St. Francis and his teachings on humility, compassion, community and servant leadership. When I was in this class as a freshman, I didn’t know how important those values would become and how deeply they would shape my time here. I soon learned that the most meaningful parts of life often come when you step outside your comfort zone and give more of yourself than you thought possible.
Servant leadership is about giving more of yourself not for recognition, but to help others. It requires humility to put aside personal comfort and serve those who may need it most, and compassion to recognize their struggles and offer your support without expecting anything in return. My experiences serving others helped me understand the importance of building a community, where each person is valued and supported. It reinforced that true leadership isn't about what you gain, but about how you give.
And in those moments, it wasn’t just our faith that carried us, it was the people around us. Somehow, the intimidating, unfamiliar faces became friends, and those friends quickly became family. That’s what makes this place so special: it’s the people. The people in this theatre are your support system, your personal reminders of your reminders of who you’ve been and who you can still become.
Some of us will join the workforce, tackling the challenges of starting careers and making our mark on the world. Others will be continuing their education, diving into graduate schools, ready to take the next academic step. And then, there are those of us who are still figuring it all out, and that’s okay, too. No matter what path we choose, one thing is clear: we’re all stepping into the unknown, but we’re doing it together, with the strength, resilience, and faith we’ve built here at The Cliff.
But here we are again, another new beginning. This weekend, we are all setting off on our next adventure. We’re probably all feeling a little like we’re standing at the edge of a cliff. We’ve spent four years making friends, creating memories, and building a life here. Now, it’s time to say goodbye. And while many of us are excited for the future, I know I’m also feeling some hesitation because I know the next step will take me into uncharted territory, and change is inevitable. But this time, we’re much more prepared. We’ve done this before, and we know how scary it can be.
While I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve accomplished, I’m also not quite ready to leave. I’m not ready to say goodbye to the campus that feels like home and I’m not ready to face the real world. Four years ago, I missed my parents’ house and the comfort that it brought me. This university felt like it was worlds away, not just miles.
Now, I can say that Briar Cliff is my home, and I will miss its people, its comfort, and its memories.
But growth happens when we step into the unknown, even when we don’t feel fully ready. If we were completely ready, it would mean we had reached the end of our journey, that we had learned all we could, and experienced everything. But none of us can say that yet. We’ve only just begun.
As we prepare to take the next step, remember that we’ve been through scary, uncertain moments before, and we made it through. We’ve done hard things, faced challenges, and come out stronger on the other side. And now, we don’t have to face what’s ahead alone. We have each other. We’ve built a community here that has shaped us, supported us, and helped us grow. Whatever change comes next, we can handle it, because we’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again, together.
Thank you!