May 22, 2023
Student oration: Samantha Furtado ’23
Samantha Rose Furtado ’23
Student oration
Academic Awards Ceremony
May 20, 2023
Good morning everyone,
It is an incredible honor to be standing here, graced with the privilege of celebrating the academic achievements of the Class of 2023. The feeling is almost surreal, as the events that have dominated our past four years have made our college experience anything but typical. As a result, the concept of graduating has always seemed, at least to me, like something that was always so far in the future, or something that was just beyond arm’s reach. It’s no secret that we’ve had a very bumpy journey, but in spite of that, we are here today for the purpose of celebrating our incredible accomplishments, anxiously awaiting the moment we get to cross the stage tomorrow.
In reflecting upon these past four years, I realized not only the uniqueness of our college experience, but the uniqueness of our Catholic education as well. I’ve been in Catholic school since pre-K, so when I committed to PC, I realized then and there that I’ll never escape Catholic school. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been perfect in my faith, but I’ve always found the messages within Catholicism to be applicable to the way in which we can understand and make a bit of sense of the world around us. All throughout my early years of school, it was always a tradition that one class would get to perform the Stations of the Cross. The stations, otherwise known as the Passion of Christ, essentially serve as a snapshot of the sufferings that Jesus Christ endured during his last day on earth. When Jesus was sentenced to death, he was charged with the duty of taking up his cross and carrying it to where he would be crucified. The weight of the cross was enormous, causing him to suffer greatly, although many kind people around him helped to console and uplift him along the way. Through it all, throughout all the suffering, Jesus continued on, trusting in the plan God had for him, and eventually making what we now know as one of the greatest sacrifices ever made.
Although we will never endure what Jesus did, his example — teaching us that we should trust in God despite the burdens we bear — should inspire us.
Class of 2023, we were able to enjoy just one semester of being here before we were sent home by COVID, many of us before we even had the chance to form real friendships, or even figure how to get to Al-Mag in the science building (I personally still don’t know). The pandemic introduced to us a whole new set of obstacles that we’d have to navigate, on top of trying to figure out who we were, what we wanted to do, and what exactly we wanted out of life. In a sense, this became an invisible cross to carry until we would make it to our ultimate goal – that is, graduation.
And look where we are now. I want my classmates here today to take a moment to acknowledge all of the good and bad of the past four years. While it’s true that we should never dwell on the past, it is important to recognize that time often has the power of desensitizing us to our former burdens, distancing us from the recollection of the strength, courage, and bravery required to continue moving forward. It is not to say that we are at all defined by what we go through, but rather, it is the way in which we have overcome these things that enables us to showcase the true character that lies at the heart of who we are. It is this character that I have observed in our class during these past four years which I feel exemplifies everything that Providence College stands for. On top of the challenges placed upon our shoulders by the COVID-19 pandemic, I know many of us have also borne invisible burdens that others may not realize. These take many forms — homesickness, the loss of a loved one, loneliness, illness, financial hardship, homelessness, or struggles with mental health. However, each and every single one of you continued to wake up every day, pick up your cross, and continue on. Not only that, I noticed that our class is special in that we continue to uplift each other in spite of any personal hardships we may be facing. For that, I could not be any more proud to be a part of a class as resilient and as gracious as the Class of 2023. Not only am I proud of you, but know that all of your friends are proud of you, your family is proud of you, all those watching over you are proud of you, your professors are proud of you, the entire Providence College community, which we so lovingly call “Friartown” is endlessly proud of you, not only for your achievements, but we are proud of you because you are you – because you are courageous, because your character is unmatched, and because you are a Friar.
What does being a Friar really mean? It means sharing experiences within our community that bond us for life. Things like screaming Taylor Swift songs at the Dunk, four (or five) semesters of Western Civ, or going down a 20-foot waterslide in an Eaton Street backyard. More than that, it also means exemplifying tireless resilience, unfaltering strength, and an unwavering faith in not only in the plan God has in store for you, but faith in yourself. To be a Friar is to demonstrate perseverance, courage, and determination in spite of the things that may be working against you. To be a Friar is to wake up every morning and strive to be a better person than the one you were yesterday. It is to trust that God has your back, to be empathetic and exhibit compassion to all those around you, to endlessly seek the truth, and to call Providence College your home.
Although we are leaving the physical grounds of PC, I can assure you that this does not mean we’re truly leaving here. The real world is undoubtedly going to have its own host of obstacles that we are all going to be challenged with facing. However, I want to remind my classmates to continue to carry this Friar spirit with you wherever you may go and in every aspect of your life. This same spirit that you have embodied these past four years will be the same spirit that enables you conquer just about anything life could potentially throw at you. The Friar sprit does not leave you the second you leave the campus, but will always remain with you because it has always been within you.
There is a reason we all picked PC, and I believe it is because of these underlying traits that make us so similar to one another, that have drawn us to an institution that has provided the perfect place for us to continue to grow as individuals and as a class. It is in embodying the Friar spirit by continuing to remain resolute, continuing to persevere, continuing to be kind, and continuing to carry on in spite of the weight of your crosses, that you will continue to bring a little piece of Providence College with you everywhere you go, and achieve anything it is that you choose to set your mind to.
You all have already achieved so much in spite of all odds, and for this, I extend my most heartfelt congratulations to each and every single one of you. I wish you all the most happiness and the most luck in all you pursue outside of Providence College, and it is my dearest hope that you all may recognize your strength and your ability and utilize this by continuing making a positive impact on the world, as you already have at Providence College. Though we may be going our separate ways, the Friar spirit that ties us together will always make us, as Dean Sears says, “one heart, one heartbeat, and one community.”
God bless and go Friars.
