Associate Professor Kristin Kiesel Gives Faculty Commencement Speech
June 20, 2023
Associate Professor Kristin Kiesel gave the faculty commencement speech at the 9AM undergraduate ceremony at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento this past Saturday, June 17. Kiesel was one of only five faculty speakers who addressed the graduating class at the ceremonies held June 16–18.
Kiesel encouraged graduates to “stay curious and open-minded, kind to others, and yourself, because no matter how small and insignificant an accomplishment might sometimes feel, our imperfections are what make us grow, and our mistakes enable us to do better collectively.” She concluded with a hope that the graduates “remember one thing: that the whole can be bigger than the sum of its parts. All of you will make a difference. I’m sure of it— because to me, you already have.”
Kiesel is one of the inaugural Community-Engaged Learning Faculty Fellows and the architect of ARE’s Diversity and Inclusion in Research, Education and Career Training, or DIRECT program, which exposes students to research early on and creates a greater sense of belonging.
She said her speech preparation was inspired by her experience serving undergraduates from diverse backgrounds and identities during these past years. “Their openly shared stories, resilience and eagerness to learn allowed me to find new meaning and keeps reminding me how deeply I care about them and want them to succeed.”
Watch the livestream recording (Kiesel's speech starts at 33:50)
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