Despite a less than traditional graduation ceremony this year, alumna Valeria Laguna (BSME ‘13) offered an inspiring speech to the undergraduate class of 2020.
Laguna, who was honored as one of MechSE’s Outstanding Young Alumni last year, works at Proctor & Gamble as a Material Process Delivery Leader and an Operating Department Leader.
In her video recording for engineering mechanics and mechanical engineering graduates, she expressed her congratulations as well as a hope that “no other class gets to say they didn’t have a traditional graduation due to a pandemic.” She added, “But that’s what engineering is all about: dealing with change, and creating change, by being innovative, detail-orientated, and systematic, so we can do things differently and better. I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on what made [your college career] memorable, what you learned, how you grew, and how that sets you up to succeed in the next chapter of your life. Remember that success comes in a lot of different ways: big, small, emotional, personal, and professional. You’ve made a lot of choices to get to this point, which means you are equipped to make the choices that will propel you to the next chapter.”
She offered three pieces of advice, followed by examples from her own life. “I’ve chosen to pursue things that make me happy. This graduation is your ticket to pursue things that make you happy. You’ve worked for it.” To do this, she encouraged recent graduates to “have something to look forward to” and “have people to care for, as well as people who care for you.” She emphasized the importance of “pursuing the big picture,” and that “stressing little things takes a lot of energy. Similarly, in my life I focus on the big picture and embrace the little joys of every day. I hope you can find your big picture.”
Laguna ended her speech with a celebratory splash of Dawn dish soap, one of the product lines she manages for P&G. “Class of 2020, you can have all the confidence that your Illinois education has given you an excellent foundation.”