Susan Bernini, College Misericordia
August 23, 2002
Dr MacDowell, distinguished faculty, parents, friends, and most importantly
members of the Class of 2006....
I want to express my deep appreciation for the opportunity to share this
moment as you begin a new academic year. It is a privilege to be with
you at this most impressive Convocation Ceremony.
This is an exciting and extraordinary day for each and every one of us.
I think you would agree this convocation is a most fitting and inspiring
beginning of your college education. It is filled with the rich tradition
of the formal academic ceremony and it certainly captures the energy and
excitement of young men and women about to embark on an incredible journey.
I must tell you, however, that I am not only feeling the energy and excitement
but also that little feeling of apprehension about what is ahead.
I want to congratulate your parents. Certainly, their love, support and
encouragement have been instrumental in achieving this milestone in your
life. Undoubtedly they are very proud of their sons and daughters. I'm
sure they will continue to be there for you and pray that you will do
well academically, and that you will be happy.
I'm sure some your parents are having a little difficulty with the fact
that their babies all grown up and leaving home .... And I hate to be
the one to tell you this but there are some of your parents who are all
too happy to have you out of the house for a while.
I also want to congratulate each freshman for your hard work and for
having been accepted to College Misericordia. It may be difficult for
you to imagine but I can vividly remember the day I received my acceptance
letter. I was proud and relieved that Misericordia and I had matched interest
in each other.
I also want to commend you for choosing Misericordia for your undergraduate
education. I imagine that from the time as you were growing up, your parents
told you that life is about making choices.... Good choices and bad choices.
Well, Misericordia is an excellent choice.
I haven't been on campus for a number of years and returning has certainly
stirred wonderful memories and warm feelings. As I look around the campus,
so much has changed. It is evident that Misericordia continues to be successful
and has lived up to its commitment to meet the needs of the students and
faculty. I am however thrilled to know that the academic philosophy....
the values.... the commitment to quality education as well as to the growth
and development of each individual student remains the same.
A few weeks before Dr. MacDowell invited me to be with you this afternoon,
I was interviewed by a young man who is a nurse at our Medical Center.
He was pursing his Master's Degree. One of his assignments required him
to interview an individual ... a nurse...who had achieved some level of
clinical or administrative success.
He had a number of questions prepared and one of those was " What
individual or experience had the greatest influence on your career? Without
hesitation and with tremendous pride, gratitude, and affection, I began
to describe my experience at College Misericordia.
Before I share with you just how it has influenced my life and career,
let me tell you a little about who I was when I arrived at Misericordia.............
just a few short years ago.
I grew up in Allentown the youngest of six children in a small row house
.... with one bathroom. Ours was a home filled with abounding love and
excellent food. My brothers and sisters were all extremely intelligent
and talented but it was the 50's and early 60's and financially college
wasn't an option for any of them.
Being the last had definite advantages and with the unwavering support
of my parents and my big sister Janet who is with me today, I applied
and was accepted into the Nursing program at Misericordia.
Money was very tight... Dad was making far less than $100 a week....My
dad was a machinist but he was also a very talented musician. And so,
he began to give piano lessons in the evenings and on weekends so that
I could pursue my dreams....and off I went with everyone of my dresses,
skirts and jackets hand made by my mother..... jeans, tee shirts and shorts
were definitely not a part of the dress code at that time.
I arrived.... And I wasn't scared .... I was TERRIFIED! Terrified of
what was ahead. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to keep up academically,
wouldn't fit in with the rest of the students, and I was going to live
with NUNS!! .... I lacked any confidence and I was convinced that the
NUNS would soon discover that there had been some terrible mistake and
I really didn't belong here.
So what happened during the next four years that would help me develop
a better sense of myself ....... provide me with the tools to begin my
professional career ......... begin a transformation from insecure young
girl to leader. What happened at Misericordia that had such a profound
influence on my life and my career?
First and foremost is the educational foundation provided. Misericordia
was progressive even then offering a bachelor's degree in nursing. The
program provided the framework to develop sound clinical skills to be
a good nurse and a broad base of knowledge that allowed me to explore
opportunities beyond my nursing education.
I'm sure you will find the faculty as I did to be available and accessible.
They are highly motivated and experienced to not only be your teachers
but also your mentors and coaches as you maneuver the sometimes complicated
course of a college student.
The academic environment was one that encouraged the students to ask
questions... to dig a little deeper... to want to know more....It instilled
in me the notion that learning never ends... and now as a more mature
individual it is that eagerness and desire to continue to learn and do
new things that keeps me energized when times are tough.
Now I don't want any of you to think it was an easy ride for me or that
it will be for you. In order to make sure you are prepared for your first
job or the next step in your academic career, the curriculum is challenging
and expectations are high.
And there will always be that one professor...... I have vivid images
of one of my nursing instructors ..........Drawing from one of my favorite
series of books, I will call her "She-whose-name-shall-not-be-spoken".
She put the fear of the Lord in us each time we stepped onto the clinical
unit. But in retrospect (and only in retrospect), that experience taught
us to have strength in the face of adversity and how to function under
stress. And our experience with her provided us with the funniest and
most memorable stories.
The next experience I would like to share is one that is distinctly unique
to Misericordia. It is living and learning in an environment that exists
only as a result of generations of the Sisters of Mercy tradition. It
is evident in the faculty, administration and staff. It promotes values
such as caring, compassion and giving and the importance of reaching out
to serve others...To show respect for cultural differences and the dignity
of each individual in every situation.
This atmosphere was not only in the classroom but also in the dormitory.
I'm not sure why but it seemed that my room always ended up being within
a room or two away from the 'House Mother". It was discussions with
them as well as other religious and lay faculty that convinced me that
after graduation I would work in an area where the needs were the greatest....I
wanted to serve the most vulnerable.
I choose to work in not just an urban environment but in North Philadelphia,
well known for its diversity and vulnerable population........from the
children living with violence in their own neighborhoods, to the frail
elderly. I have been at Albert Einstein for 32 years and we are well known
for our commitment to serve our community. That is something that I am
very proud of.
The third and last area of influence I would like to illustrate has to
do with leadership. A leader must understand oneself and other people.
He or she must remain forever curious and embrace the concept of life-long
learning to constantly seek new and better ideas and practices. And leaders
must demonstrate the courage to take calculated risks, make good and fair
decisions, and take responsibility for outcomes. It takes knowledge and
confidence. Some of you were born with a high degree of self-confidence
and sense of self. It is a wonderful and beneficial characteristic. There
are others of us however that must develop this invaluable trait. Confidence
isn't something that just shows up one morning when you wake up. It is
happens over many years but it must start with one success and each success
builds on the next. Misericordia will provide the supportive environment
for you to take personal risks... you will be encouraged to stretch beyond
your comfort zone and to understand yourself and other people. It can
have a powerful impact. And for those of you who already have self-assurance...think
of the possibilities.
Throughout my remarks today as I described Misericordia, I used phrases
like "an environment that supports and encourages", and "faculty
who are available and accessible" but none of this can influence
your life and career unless you do your part.
(Hold up Kaleidoscope) This is a kaleidoscope. As you know it is made
up of an eyepiece, a tube, a prism, and multicolored stones. Imagine for
a moment that this kaleidoscope is College Misericordia. The tube is strong
and enduring and it contains what is necessary to make it work.
Each of the wheels represents a year at this school. And each wheel is
filled with stones of different shapes and colors. The stones represent
the many courses you will take.... the faculty.... other students.....
the stones represent the diversity of ideas, the diversity of individuals
you will encounter.
If you stand back and look at it, I think you would agree .....it's a
rather handsome kaleidoscope.
But what is needed to appreciate the purpose of the kaleidoscope.....to
take advantage of the possibilities ....is you. You must engage... you
must pick it up and hold it up to the light.... You must turn the wheels.....
use and integrate all you have learned ..... be willing to risk losing
the perfect picture that you see so that another even more beautiful image
can emerge. It is only then that you will appreciate the true value, the
richness, the beauty and the significance of your College Misericordia
experience
If you do that, I guarantee what you see, what you experience while you're
here, and what you can rely on for the rest of your lives will be spectacular
and rewarding. It's up to you.
Once again I want to thank Dr MacDowell and the Convocation Committee
for bestowing this honor upon me. You have made me, my family, and my
friends very proud.
I also want to convey my respect, gratitude, admiration and affection
to the faculty ....past and present.... for your commitment to teaching
excellence and your contributions that make Misericordia magnificent.
And to the Class of '06..... I hope that the next four years are filled
with wonder and amazement. May you live and love life with a passion.
God bless you all.
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