Graduating senior Daisy Wilson says UWO shaped decisions that led to Commencement Day

The following is an address made by Daisy Wilson at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Midyear Commencement ceremony on December 14, 2024.

Welcome family, friends, graduates, and honored guests.

Although the introduction of who I was as a UWO student was quite flattering, I would like to rewind the clock to my senior year of high school.

I blankly stared at my laptop as I read an email stating, "You will not graduate on time if you do not complete your online courses by the beginning of June." It was already the middle of May and I barely completed a quarter of the course materials for five different classes. I slapped my laptop closed. I already ruined my high school career by being expelled my sophomore year and failing most of my classes my junior year. I decided at that moment it did not matter if I graduated high school. A diploma did not redeem me of my mistakes and even more so, it did not heal my childhood trauma.

I was searching for a full-time job when I realized the severity of my decision. There were very few options to choose from as an inexperienced 18-year-old without a diploma. My savings account was at zero. I did not have a vehicle, and all my bills were past due. The shame intensified with every job rejection and item I could no longer afford. Overwhelmed with regret, my decision led to my rock bottom, which I could only surpass by becoming accountable for all my choices and actions moving forward.

I contacted my high school and graduated an entire year later with gratitude. I applied to a temp agency and worked as a line worker with humility. I reflected on my past and forgave with grace. I identified my values and lived by them with resilience. I applied to UWO with optimism and hope.

Fast forward to this commencement ceremony, my past illuminates an important aspect of our lives: some decisions can get you nowhere fast, but the value of each decision that gets you somewhere slowly. My decision to apply to UWO and (thankfully) the unbiased, hopeful admissions committee was my first decision that led to all the pathways necessary to create the person standing before you. Throughout the last four and a half years, UWO has profoundly shaped each decision that led to my somewhere, the person I am today.

We all have unique backgrounds and stories, and each of us made decisions to become the individuals we are now- UWO 2024 graduates. I want you to embrace and reflect on the decisions that led you to this somewhere in your narrative. YOU have written it, and YOU have earned it. I want you also to recall all the people who made it possible for your somewhere to look as beautiful as it is today. These people-your friends, family, coaches, counselors, professors, mentors, or staff-wanted you to achieve this somewhere in your narrative.

I would like to thank the faculty and staff who have motivated me, encouraged me, and helped me redefine myself- all of whom have impacted the decisions I chose to make now. The person who I am today is the result of the relentless support and opportunities from professors Brant Kedrowski and Anca Miron, the cheerful and compassionate conversations outside of classes with professors Quinn Chroback, Gregory Adler, Jennifer Milhalik, David Lishner, Kevin Crawford and Sheri Lense, and the unwavering faith and guidance from Sarah Kofler, Cordelia Bowlus, and professors Sabrina Mueller-Spitz, Belynda Pinkston, and Phan Hong-Lishner. Thank you- all of you- for being the silver lining in my narrative.

From this day forward, we will all make decisions that will influence how our final somewhere is manifested in our narratives. Let's all embrace and value the decisions that get us to our somewhere slowly. Growth is a life-long commitment that will always lead you further away from nowhere.

Thank you and congratulations!