My Graduation 2019: Connecting the Dots
“God wants us to know that life is a series of beginnings, not endings. Just as graduations are not terminations, but commencements. Creation is an ongoing process, and when we create a perfect world where love and compassion are shared by all, suffering will cease.” Bernie Siegel stated.
15th June 2019 was a remarkable and great day for me! It’s a day that a one my life chapters has been closed and started another. I am delighted to graduate and being awarded MA in Development Studies from Kampala International University (KIU). At this moment that one of the dots has been drawn and connected to another because of getting my masters has been one of my academic goals. I remember in my Geometry classes at School that points shown in dots make lines and lines draw a plane. Therefore, my life goals which I call dots to make connections when they achieved and each connection keep growing to connect another dot. Meaning that there are continuing life chapters or journeys. One ends and leads another to begin! I am grateful for past journeys and hopeful for the next.
I am extremely thankful for My Parents, Friends, Colleagues, and everyone who supported me on this journey. I am well aware of how you were always ready to support me and fulfil all my needs to perform well and become the best version of myself. I will always be grateful for everything you have done for me which is indescribable in words and made me at least an educated and informed citizen of the world. During my studies at KIU, the classes I attended, the friendships I made, the leadership I served, and the ideas we shared were all fascinating and memorable.
As a young person, I was always terrified by the development predicament in my home country Somalia and Africa at large and think about what I can do about it. In other words, I was motivated by Dr Martin Luther King who said: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” Therefore, I devoted some of my time to volunteer in several platforms to contribute peace and development in societies and world at large by co-founding the SDGs Network Uganda and SDGs 252 to spread, localize and innovate about the Global Goals in both Somalia and Uganda. I had also the privilege to join the Global Shapers Community to shape the world and become Country Chair at Global dignity to spread the Message of peace and Dignity and many other several institutions.
Finally, As you are reading these lines I hope you had the opportunity to attend school or college. Imagine the millions of young people who do not have the chance to go to school or college not only in Somalia but also in the global south. We live in the fourth industrial revolution era where Human Capital development is highly crucial to succeed in the 21st century. My graduation and certification can only be significant if we strive for change and impact people’s lives to create opportunities for all. This reminds me Tom Brokaw, American Journalist, who once said “You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.” think about what I and you can do as individuals and what we can achieve as a team. In this 21st century, togetherness is inevitable to bring change; therefore, It only takes a decision to make a change not a single magic. So please let us join together and build a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable planet for ourselves and generations to come.
May God Help Me in my next journey!
