Commencement 2004

Words of wisdom

Following are highlights from the convocation addresses across campus June 19.

Novelist and attorney Scott Turow, Northwestern’s 2001 commencement speaker, addressed the School of Education and Social Policy’s Class of 2004.

“Careers are often a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, stumbling sometimes, but — often by successive approximations — finding how you can be most effective, most thoroughly engaged and most useful to the field, most useful to your fellow human beings — and happiest.”
— Ellen Highstein, School of Music

“You are all going to be educators in one form or another, and I greet you with awe. It is important that education not shun controversy, and it must examine values.” [Besides parenthood, teaching] “is the most important job in our society.”
— Scott Turow, School of Education and Social Policy

“I may not be a rock star, but I’m an engineer. And engineers rock!”
— Padmasree Warrior, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

“Whatever you do, please appreciate facts. In the growing cacophony of electronic media, facts are getting lost.”
— Anne Garrels, Medill School of Journalism