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It took me a looong time to decide what to write about for this journal. The idea here comes from the fabulous CalleighCaineWriter , who requested that folks write a journal just the way they normally speak. I had several plans that didn't feel right, and originally I thought I'd do several versions of the same thing (like many people, I talk differently in different contexts).

Then I thought: I'll dictate something and use the transcript. That way, it will read the way I talk. But... I couldn't decide what to say.

So... I used the transcript from a video I made recently for my students. It's edited just to remove identifying stuff, and while I came up with a plan for what I wanted to say, I didn't write or memorize a script. I just hit play on my webcam and went for it.

This is formal me, but it's still me.
For full effect, picture me wearing this:

(though I am obviously way better looking than the female model in this image. Also, I wear much more sensible shoes.)

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Hello, colleagues, I'm Doctor [redacted] and I'm here with your final weekly [message].

This week, I would like to invite you to celebrate the class of 2020… in some way that makes sense for you. I’m wearing my regalia In honor of the members of our course who are finishing their undergraduate career this semester.

No, it’s not what you were hoping for or expecting for your commencement, but I hope that you feel celebrated and… really, really proud of everything you’ve accomplished throughout your undergraduate careers, as well as this semester in particular, ‘cause that’s significant.

If you know someone who is graduating this semester, whether it’s from [redacted] or somewhere else, or even high school, I hope you reach out to them and let them know that you value what they’re contributing to our world, that you value them as a person… and you hope that they are well.

I invite you to do that alongside me.

So, to the Class of 2020: well done! Good work!

To our entire class, all of our course, uh… thank you. At the start of this semester, I asked you a question.

I asked: who do you want to be? Do you want to be stressed out and miserable all the time? Or do you want to work hard and learn stuff and make a positive impact on the world?

And, to be fair, being stressed out and miserable all the time would be a perfectly reasonable reaction to having [number redacted, but trust me, it’s unreasonable] credits in one semester, let alone this crazy semester that we are experiencing.

But every day, and every interaction… in every email, in every post… you have shown who you want to be.

Who you are.

That is: a person who makes a positive impact: on our world, on our university, and for sure on me.

It really means a lot to see your persistence, your dedication, your hard work. It’s more inspiring than I can say. And I want you to know how much that means to me… professionally and personally.

And that is what I hope you will take forward from this class. More than the content that we have learned and that you’ve worked so hard to master. I know that you are taking forward life lessons about teamwork, about valuing the present moment, about life and death. About coming together and about being in community with one another

And those are lessons that you have taken to heart. They’re not things that you’re getting from… me in some way… and so I hope you will pay this forward one more time, in the context of our class, by taking a moment to sign, to say thank you, and sign virtual thank you cards for your teaching assistants and for your lab faculty . They miss you. They wish that we will still together in lab while still wanting to keep our community as safe as possible through social distancing, and they would love to hear what lab has meant to you.

I’ve been reading your reflections and I know it means a great deal.

I thank you so sincerely for everything this semester, but especially just for being who you are.

And working so hard to creating the positive learning environment and community that I’ve had the privilege to be part of this semester.

Thank you.