The 糖心vlog视频鈥檚 graduating class of 2023 will take the stage at T-Mobile Park in鈥痶his year鈥檚 Commencement Ceremony on June 11 鈥 the first time in three years that the ceremony will return to the stadium.
For the 2022-23 academic year,鈥疷W Bothell will award 1,818 undergraduate degrees, 195 graduate degrees and 12 teaching certificates to a class ranging in age from 19 to 62 years old 鈥斺痑nd hailing from as far away as South Africa.
Students receiving their master鈥檚 degree鈥痺ill also be recognized in the annual Graduate Hooding Ceremony on Saturday, June 10, on鈥痶he UW Bothell sports field. In this traditional ceremony, graduate students are presented by their faculty with a master鈥檚 hood bearing the colors of their program.
鈥淚 remember graduation at UW Bothell as incredibly meaningful,鈥濃痵aid Priya Frank, director of equity, diversity and inclusion at the Seattle Art Museum and this year鈥檚 keynote speaker.鈥淭o be able to help celebrate the amazing graduates of this year鈥檚 class and all they have accomplished is truly a full circle honor for me.鈥
From classroom to career
Frank has a long history of both educational and work experiences at the University of Washington.
She received her undergraduate degree in Communications and in American Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington in 2004. She then worked there in various roles while pursuing a Master of Arts in Cultural Studies degree from the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at UW Bothell, which she received in 2011. She also later served as鈥痶he IAS associate director for advancement.
鈥淯W Bothell is a place where鈥疘 came into my own,鈥痩ike I was supported for exactly who I was and how I approached the work I was doing. As a result, I felt a lot of agency鈥痶o make change happen,鈥 Frank said.
鈥淭he Cultural Studies program was a real life-changer for me. It gave me a lot of opportunity to try new things,鈥 she said. 鈥淗aving been in the workforce for several years, it was such a benefit for me to just be able to center myself and think about 鈥榃hat am I interested in?鈥 and dip my toes within an environment that felt safe.鈥
Frank says that much of her current professional work in diversity, equity and inclusion at SAM is a continuation of her time and experiences across the UW.
Seeds of a lifelong community
鈥淎t UW Bothell, I finally felt like I had found community within my academic experience,鈥 Frank said, adding that the small class sizes gave her an opportunity to closely interact with both professors and fellow classmates. 鈥淥ur two years together allowed us to see each other grow professionally and personally in incredible ways.鈥
Many of the people Frank met at UW Bothell have become lifelong connections, she said. Her former classmate and now close friend, Paul Johnson, is currently the vice president of people and鈥痗ulture and the chief diversity officer at the Seattle Symphony 鈥斺痡ust across the street from SAM. They continue to support each other in their shared DEI work within鈥痶he Seattle arts scene.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just really special to see where many of us have ended up and how we continue to support each other,鈥 Frank said.
The same goes for her professors. Frank noted that her portfolio adviser from her master鈥檚 program, Dr. Susan Harewood, associate professor in the School of IAS, continues to be someone she looks to for advice as a mentor.
鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful to see that kind of continued investment and care,鈥 Frank said. 鈥淭here are so many seeds the professors planted with us and to see where those seeds are growing in different areas 鈥 locally, nationally, internationally 鈥 is just really inspiring. It gives me hope.鈥
Beyond boundaries and limitations
Now, at the Seattle Art Museum, Frank is enjoying the opportunity to see her own work centering on diversity and inclusion make a difference for others.
鈥淐hange doesn鈥檛 happen overnight, so it鈥檚 exciting鈥痶o see the investments made in equity work seven plus years ago starting to come to fruition in multiple ways 鈥 and it鈥檚 important to celebrate that while recognizing the work never ends.鈥
Frank started at SAM in 2016 as the associate director for community programs and was promoted in 2020 to her current position. That same year, she was also recognized for her career and dedication to the arts communities when she received the Alumna of the Year Award at UW Bothell.
鈥淎s somebody who鈥檚 a first-generation college graduate and the first in my family born in the U.S., being able to celebrate at Commencement a class that reflects a lot of the experiences I had means all the more,鈥 Frank said.
When asked what advice she has for this year鈥檚 graduates, Frank said, 鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid of the hard stuff. Even if you鈥檝e never imagined yourself doing something, if it scares you in a good way, give it a shot because you never know where it could lead. Whether you succeed or whether you fail, it鈥檚 actually not as relevant as the experience itself and what you can gain from that.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about visualizing yourself beyond the boundaries and limitations that society often gives us and going beyond our ancestors鈥 wildest dreams,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have to let everyone else鈥檚 definition of success define us. We pave our own way.鈥
Solidarity in solitude
This year鈥檚 student speaker at Commencement is Isabeau Rosen, president of the Associated Students of the 糖心vlog视频 and a junior double majoring in Media & Communication Studies and in Culture,鈥疞iterature & the Arts.
Having graduated from high school and then started her college education during the pandemic, Rosen said she recognizes the struggles many of this year鈥檚 graduates had to overcome to get to where they are.
鈥淓veryone looks back on the 鈥榋oom time鈥 as 鈥榞lad we鈥檙e out of it,鈥 but I actually think it created a lot of really unique opportunities that people don鈥檛 reflect on enough,鈥 Rosen said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 sort of what I鈥檝e tried to do as president 鈥 to highlight what people tend to think of as downfalls or 鈥業 had to settle for this or work around that.鈥
鈥淲e have鈥痚xperience that no one else can claim.鈥
While connecting with other students and faculty may have required more effort or a different approach during and right after the pandemic, Rosen also said it has opened the door for connecting in new ways. 鈥淚f I was on a traditional first-year campus experience, I would be meeting people but wouldn鈥檛 have had the same level of solidarity,鈥 she said.
A sense of pride
As the student government president, Rosen saw this nontraditional way of connecting as an opportunity to help bridge gaps between the challenges of having to teach a class virtually, versus the experience of virtual learning.
Though she found a silver lining in the virtual learning environment, Rosen has enjoyed engaging with students, faculty and staff in person over the last two years and is excited to play a role in celebrating the achievements of this year鈥檚 graduates.
鈥淐ommencement is a big deal. It is an end to a very large and very important chapter in your life. You鈥檙e going on to more school, going on to the workforce or just into the real world in general,鈥 Rosen said. 鈥淥ne of the main things I want students to leave with is pride that they went to UW Bothell.鈥
Rosen added that if there鈥檚 one piece of advice she could share with the Class of 2023, it would be Lewis Carroll鈥檚 quote that, 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 know where you鈥檙e going, every road will get you there.鈥
A celebration of achievements
The 2023 Commencement Ceremony will begin at noon on Sunday, June 11, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. Entrance tickets are required for all guests.
鈥淚鈥檓 most excited about Commencement being back at T-Mobile Park this year,鈥 said Lisa Walker, UW Bothell鈥檚 director of Ceremonies & Events. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something to be said for one big ceremony 鈥 there is so much energy in the room, the parents are excited and the students are excited. It鈥檚 just an overall wonderful feeling.
鈥淚 know this year鈥檚 attendees can look forward to an exciting ceremony.鈥
