In his second year of teaching, this year’s Fall Commencement marks Professor Jeremy Coleman’s sixth Ball State University graduation. It's his third as a faculty member, matching the amount of Ball State graduations he attended as a student himself.
Coleman received his undergraduate, graduate and PhD from Ball State before becoming an assistant clinical professor in educational leadership.
“I’ve had many graduations at Ball State University, and I remember sitting in the auditorium and hearing our commencement speaker just deliver an amazing speech,” Coleman said. “She said, ‘I want to welcome you to the society of scholars,’ and in that moment … I was proud of what I had done. But more than pride, I had a sense of belonging.”
The sense of pride he felt has manifested itself into some of Coleman’s passions as an educator. He values seeing his students in the place he was not too long ago.
“Every graduation means we are moving students from academia into the world. We are moving students from potential to action, and it’s exciting,” Coleman said.
Another professor who, like Coleman, made an impact in just a few years is Jeff Stover, who works in Stage Management and Design Technology in Ball State’s Theatre and Dance program.
Going into his fourth graduation as a professor this spring, Stover came to Ball State around the same time as a lot of this year’s graduating Cardinals.
“It is bittersweet when they graduate. We are excited to see where they will fly to. But as a mentor, my relationship doesn’t end when they graduate,” Stover said via email. “I give support and advice for years after leaving the school. Being in Theatre and Dance is a special relationship because of the work we do and the collaboration that goes into it.”
Professor Timothy Gray has been teaching at Ball State for about 22 years and teaches in the College of Architecture and Planning. He feels a similar sense of pride regarding the ceremonies.
“There’s always a few students you build relationships with … I think it’s always kind of bittersweet. We feel happy and proud that they’re moving on, but [there’s] also the whole sense of loss, of losing them,” Gray said.
Construction Management Professor Sherif Attallah joined Ball State’s faculty in 2014, officially marking his first decade as a Cardinal this year . He finds graduation to be “one of the best days of the year.” He recognizes the event as a milestone for students, but Attallah feels graduation can be a special time for educators in some ways as well.
“I can see happiness in the eyes of the students, I can see that they have finished their degrees and they are excited about their future,” Attallah said. “It’s very special [for educators] because you see the fruits or the outcome — the results of your work.”
His advice for graduates is to thoroughly consider each path that’s available to them. In his experience, he feels it is critical for students who are about to graduate to find the career that will have the best outcome for them.
“Think about these different options, what each option can offer to them, and choose the right thing for their personality and their career,” Attallah said.
Mainly teaching graduate students, Professor of Mathematical Sciences Munni Begum emphasizes that commencement doesn’t sever the connection she has with her students; it opens up the opportunity to celebrate their professional milestones together.
She began teaching in 2005 and is still in contact with her first group of students who graduated from Ball State in 2007. They call her to update her on their lives, from landing a new job to earning their PhD.
“After that, so many groups came and graduated, and I have close contact with them,” Begum said. “I tell [my students], actually, ‘Keep in touch, and know that what you earned from here — that will shape you as a human being. With values, with integrity and with moral sense.’”
College of Fine Arts Art History professor Lara Kuykendall has attended Ball State graduations for over 13 years. She would wager she gave more hugs than handshakes during the last graduation she attended.
“We love to see students graduate because that represents a major achievement for them, but once we have built great relationships, it is a little sad to know we won’t see those students very often in the future,” Kuykendall said via email.
Her advice to graduates is not to worry about the lead-up or what comes next. She said to remember making it to graduation means you’ve earned that day, and it’s “a big deal,” so you should try to remember it.
Professor of Interior Design Sarah Angne Alfaro teaches the senior capstone course. She said graduation is a special time because of the inherent feeling the day brings.
“I would say it’s emotional, I think, for family and friends coming to support their students. I think it’s emotional for the faculty to see students complete their degree and how powerful that is,” she said. “It’s emotional [for graduates] because they’ve just invested so much time and memory — attachment to one place with all their friends — and it’s like [they’re] moving on to the next step in their life.
Professors can guide students into their careers after graduation. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 92 percent of college faculty in the U.S. said their students come to them for career advice, and 63 percent said past graduates reach out as well.
In addition to the long-lasting impact professors can have on their students, Begum said an educator’s job is to give students knowledge, and it’s up to them how they choose to apply it.
She said she loves working with young people because she gets to see the world from their perspective better. When a student is able to successfully apply the knowledge they’ve been given, graduates’ wins can be a win for the educators who helped them along the way.
“Every individual we can think of, we are really small compared to the universe. But these small pieces make the fabric of our universe and the world, so these contributions make the world a better place,” Begum said.
Reporter Hannah Amos contributed to this article.
Contact Ella Howell via email at ella.howell@bsu.edu.
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