The 小蝌蚪APP conferred 287 degrees during its Summer Commencement ceremony on Friday at the Cajundome Convention Center.
Bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degrees were awarded to 231 graduates and master小蝌蚪APP檚 degrees were awarded to 42 graduates. Thirteen graduates earned doctoral degrees. One graduate earned a post-baccalaureate certificate.
Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, told graduates that 小蝌蚪APP渢he choice you小蝌蚪APP檝e made小蝌蚪APP攖o earn a degree小蝌蚪APP攚ill serve you well for the rest of your life.小蝌蚪APP
Savoie cited recent studies that indicated what qualities and skills employers were looking for in potential employees.
小蝌蚪APP淭hey want men and women who can think critically and who can solve problems,小蝌蚪APP he said. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey want employees who can introduce new ideas and fresh perspectives. They want professionals who are responsible, ethical and who have integrity. These are the qualities that universities strive to instill and nurture in their students.小蝌蚪APP
Keynote speaker Dr. John Tetnowski, a recipient of the UL Lafayette Foundation小蝌蚪APP檚 2016 Distinguished Professor Award, urged graduates to 小蝌蚪APP渃elebrate your success, but also try to remember the lessons you小蝌蚪APP檝e learned along the way.小蝌蚪APP
Tetnowski, the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 Ben Blanco Endowed Professor in Communicative Disorders encouraged graduates to consider some of the lessons he小蝌蚪APP檚 learned doing work and research that centers on stuttering.
He shared several stories of people he小蝌蚪APP檚 worked with who stutter, and what their courage and perseverance taught him. One story centered on an 11-year-old girl he met during a mission trip to Liberia, West Africa.
Although Tetnowski worried there was little he could do to help the young girl during the pair小蝌蚪APP檚 brief encounter, he nevertheless offered a few tips to help her improve her speech.
The next day, he encountered the same girl again. Tetnowski noticed her speech was markedly improved. Surprised, he asked her if the few techniques he had provided the day before had helped her. She said, yes, and that she had stayed up all night practicing them.
小蝌蚪APP淚 learned two powerful lessons from that little girl,小蝌蚪APP Tetnowski told graduates. 小蝌蚪APP淥ne, is that hard work goes a long way. The other is that hope is really powerful.小蝌蚪APP
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