Tamko congratulates every graduate of the spring!You have worked hard for this and you should be proud of yourself. We wish you all the best for the future!
Tamko’s chairperson Julia Väänänen congratulated the graduates at the graduation ceremony.
Read the full speech below:
Today is a day that has been long awaited. A day that has taken hours, days, weeks and years of work. A day that, a few years ago, and perhaps even just a short while ago, seemed infinitely distant and sometimes even unreachable. Graduating from university of applied sciences is an achievement that shows you have the ability to commit, to adapt to changing circumstances and the desire to develop and improve yourself and your skills.
Your time at university has been marked by successive global crises. The world has changed dramatically in the time you have spent under this roof. You have faced uncertainty and overcome difficulties in very difficult circumstances. You have studied in extreme times, and that is what makes your achievement so remarkable.
Today is a day of celebration, reflection, and anticipation as we gather to honor the incredible journey that brought you to this moment. I extend my heartfelt congratulations on reaching this significant milestone in your lives.
We all know that when times are hard, it’s the community that keeps us going. From my point of view the most dangerous things happen when people drift apart. I wish to thank you all for being a part of this amazing community and shaping it to look like all of us. Your input to this community hasn’t gone unnoticed. I want to encourage you all to keep creating and cherishing communities everywhere you go.
Although you have had similarities up to this point, each of you has followed your own path. Some may actually be here a little early, some may have followed a carefully laid out plan from a higher authority, and some may have taken a few bends along the way, for example by getting involved in different organisations. Some of you know exactly what you want to do in the future, others are still thinking about what they want to be when they grow up. Even if you are still wondering what you want to do with your life, wear this degree with pride.
Your time in TAMK has not only been about absorbing knowledge from textbooks but also about discovering your passions, honing your skills, and forming lifelong connections. The friendships you’ve cultivated, the lessons you’ve learned, and the experiences you’ve gained are invaluable treasures that will stay with you forever.
Celebrate this achievement, be proud of the work you have done to achieve it and of all the rocks you have stumbled over, but then got back up again. Whatever your path from the beginning of your studies to today, you deserve all the congratulations and all the pride you can imagine.
It’s time to look to the future, but don’t forget what has shaped you. Get involved in alumni activities, keep in touch with the people and contacts you have cherished over the years and come and say hello to us not-so-graduates. The support of those of you who know and have seen it all is invaluable – and will continue to be so in the future.
Embrace new opportunities with courage and jump into what excites you: exciting things often grow into great things. Dream big and keep growing and learning. You have already become something big, and you are still becoming something even bigger. Go for the big one, and shout as you go, ‘big deal’. The world is waiting for you.