A Wish for your Future
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Remember the fairy tales that were read to you many years ago in which the fairy
godmothers, each waving a magic wand, came to the christening of the new prince
or princess and each made a wish for his or her future? That is what I am about
to do for you in relation to your years at UCSB.
These, then, are my wishes for you: That you will develop a love of learning. I
am not suggesting that learning is fun or easy or even interesting most of the time,
but there will be rare moments when you have studied and studied and thought and
researched, and suddenly you understand a whole new concept. Wow! That's how it
works! It does not take many of those experiences to hook you for life on the existential
pleasures of learning. But note that the rare flashes are preceded by a lot of work
on your part. It also requires an open, inquiring mind to be receptive to new thoughts
and ideas, to areas you've never studied before.
I have other wishes for you in the intellectual realm. I hope you will develop an
appreciation for music, art, drama, and literature. I hope you will gain an understanding
of science and technology and the contributions they make to our lives. You must
learn to communicate well, both orally and in writing. No one can succeed in interpersonal
relationships or professionally without the ability to communicate clearly and precisely
with others. Presidential candidates may be able to get by with one-liners, but
the rest of us can't.
I wish for you the thrill of discovery. For some of you that will come in the library
or during a musical performance; for some lucky students who have the opportunity
to become involved in undergraduate research projects, it may come in a psychology
or biology lab; or it may occur during a political internship or in the computer
lab.
I wish for each of you at least one dynamite professor, who loves teaching and students,
knows his/her subject thoroughly, and can share his/her knowledge and enthusiasm
with others. Listen carefully; be inspired; this is a rare individual. You will
remember this person always.
If all of these things happen, you will also be gaining the skills and knowledge
which will prepare you for a lifetime of satisfying, interesting work. This may
not always be a straight line progression, but with the intellectual gifts you are
being granted, you will be equipped to meet new occupational challenges.
I wish for you love and friendships and understanding. I hope you will take advantage of
the unique opportunities you have here to learn firsthand about people from other
countries, cultures, and backgrounds. Share discussions with students of different
religious or ethnic backgrounds than your own and with our international students.
Spend a year abroad. Debate long into the night about what's wrong with our political/educational/moral
system and what your generation can do to improve it. Value and maintain the friendships
you develop here; unless you go to graduate school, you may never have a similar
opportunity for on-going, "serious" discussions of this sort again.
I wish for you a sense of maturity and responsibility. While you are here at the
university and after you leave, be a doer and a giver, not just a receiver. Be an
active participant in your education and in the university community. Become involved
by giving your time and talent to a cause or organization you strongly believe in.
Be honest and fair.
When you graduate from UCSB, I hope you will leave with a broad base of knowledge,
a good feeling of accomplishment, and a deep sense of responsibility. As an educated
human being, you owe a debt to society to pass along to others what you have learned
here, to contribute through both your professional and personal life to making this
a better world, and to be an active participant in your continued growth and that
of society.
--Jacqueline A. Hynes, former Assistant to the Dean, College of Engineering
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