The following speech was given by Carlie at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies Pre-Commencement Award/Hood Presentation Ceremony on May 16, 2018.

Congratulations, Class of 2018. I'm honored to be speaking to you all today.

Graduation marks another milestone in our lives. In this room, there are students from various programs within the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Professional Studies, and our experiences as Drexel Dragons may be very different. However, as we look back at what we've accomplished these past couple of years and our contributions to the Drexel community, we're all probably anxious and excited about what lies ahead, whether it be pursuing a higher degree or going out into the "real world" as a working professional.

At these sorts of events, the speaker usually tries to tie in some big picture metaphor. So, I spent the last couple of weeks trying to think of something profound and special and unique to share. Well, I didn't really find it. Then a couple of days ago, I went to a family member's graduation ceremony, and the commencement speaker commented about how life is like a living laboratory. And since research and working in a lab has been a large part of my time here at Drexel, that really resonated with me.

Let me explain: When you start a project, you first propose a question. At several points in our journey, we ask ourselves, "What do I want to do with my life; what is my purpose?" So, you propose a hypothesis and test it. For example, we explore different majors in college and join clubs and extracurriculars to find what speaks to us, to find our passion. Then, we come up with a life plan—maybe even set up some career goals and lay out the steps we need to get there. For us, one of those steps was getting a master's or a PhD.

But as every researcher knows, sometimes things don't go according to our plan or results aren't what we expect. We may have been challenged in our studies or encountered setbacks in job applications. But take these and look at them in a positive light. Learn from these experiences and go back to the original question with this new knowledge and keep experimenting.

Now, I was asked to give an inspirational speech. But in all honesty, you don't need any wisdom from me. What I want to offer you today is some encouragement to keep following your passion. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Because once you find it, it will lead you to your purpose. Though we've all come far in our life, we still have a long journey ahead. But if we're lucky, we'll walk away from here with friendships, mentorships and memories to brighten the way.

Fellow graduates: take what you've learned here at Drexel and leave with a renewed sense of purpose. Be thankful to those who have guided you and supported you along the way. With passion and purpose, comes greatness. I truly believe every single person in this room is destined for greatness. It's time to go out there and show the world what we can achieve, because ambition can't wait.