MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University summer commencement keynote speaker Kari Neely called on the latest crop of more than 770 Blue Raider graduates inside Murphy Center to live out the stories of their individual lives by becoming the heroes of their own quests.
“Quests sparks our sense of adventure, and whether you thought about it or not, you have all been on a long quest,” said Neely, associate professor in the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures who filled the summer keynote role as immediate past president of the Faculty Senate. “And that quest will end today as you walk across the stage and receive your diploma.”
First-generation college student Lauryn Tyler entered MTSU as an Honors Transfer Fellow majoring in visual arts in the College of Liberal Arts with ambitions, spirations and quests of her own to pursue. She graduated summa cum laude (3.927 GPA) with even grander dreams that include a foreign destination.
The Nashville native and Columbia resident will apply for a U.S. Student Fulbright Program English teaching assistant opportunity in 2025 in Thailand, where she spent the fall 2023 semester in a study abroad trip.
“After Fulbright, my goal would to be to continue working in Thailand, but for a nonprofit focusing on youth development,” she said.
Following graduation, Tyler will work on her Fulbright application “while working a couple of part-time jobs to save money,” she said. From high school to now, work — as a restaurant server and a church administrative assistant — are part of her fabric. “Working has taught me how to manage my time well for sure,” she said.
“I only spent two years at MTSU, but it was a wonderful experience,” said Tyler, who earned minors in global studies and Honors and defended her thesis. “I met a lot of great people, both peers and professors. I learned a lot about myself during my time spent here.”
Tyler was among graduates celebrated on Saturday, made up of 542 undergraduates and 232 graduate students, including 184 master’s and nine education-specialist recipients and 38 doctoral degree-holders. Five graduate students received graduate certificates, according to the Registrar’s Office.
Students from all MTSU’s colleges — Graduate Studies, Basic and Applied Sciences, Behavioral and Health Sciences, the Jones College of Business, the College of Education, Liberal Arts andthe University College — received their degrees during the morning ceremony, which was also livestreamed on the MTSU Facebook page, True Blue TV and at mtsu.edu/live.
Here’s a short recap video:
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee noted the university’s status as a top choice for first-generation college students like Tyler and transfer students from the state’s community colleges as well as its leadership in providing educational opportunities for adult learners and military veterans.
“For more than a century, so many have come to MTSU to find purpose and direction, and to change the trajectory of their lives for the better. We provide unparalleled opportunities to students from all walks of life,” McPhee said. “… This is our brand. And by living up to our brand, we also lift up the economy and quality of life in our region and state.”
‘Embrace the obstacles’
Neely, meanwhile, urged the graduates to surround themselves with “your crew” to keep them grounded and inspired and find guides and mentors to help navigate the obstacles of life that will inevitably come.
Neely, who joined the MTSU faculty in 2007 and teaches courses on the Arabic language, international graphic novels, and graphic novels about the Middle East, said she loves a good quest story, but first you need a hero.
“Even the heroes of yore needed to have some amount of vulnerability, like the Achilles heel. Just as every dragon needs to be slayable, every hero needs room for growth,” she said. “Becoming the hero of your own story might seem very daunting at first, especially when you’re starting out. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine to be a secondary or even tertiary character at times. In fact, expect to be. At the same time, don’t be afraid to walk into the spotlight to obtain your goals.
“A quest without obstacles isn’t a quest, it’s not an adventure. A quest without setbacks is dull storytelling. Please hear me when I say that a life without setbacks, or at minimum some obstacles, is dull. … The best stories people tell me are not about how perfect and easy they have had it. Embrace the obstacles because they are going to be there.”
Maddy Williams, one of the newest alumni from the School of Journalism and Strategic Media in the College of Media and Entertainment, is ready to put the storytelling skills she learned in the classroom to work as she continues her True Blue journey.
As a junior, Williams joined MTSU’s Student Voice team within the Marketing and Communications Division and helped cover events like commencement, the Bonnaroo Arts and Music Festival, the Grand Ole Opry, Blue Raider football, and MTSU nights at both the Nashville Sounds and Nashville Predators. She’s also created hundreds of reels for the university’s social media platforms and played a crucial role in growing those accounts.
“I truly cannot imagine what my life would have looked like had I not chosen MTSU,” Williams said. “I’m so grateful for every opportunity this university has brought me, and I am indebted to the faculty and staff who have supported me throughout my academic career.”
Williams is a talented storyteller whose work has appeared on WKRN-TV News 2’s Local on 2 program, Murfreesboro City Lifestyle magazine, two Knoxville television stations and MTSU’s student-led newspaper, Sidelines.
“Without MTSU, I wouldn’t be the writer, social media manager or digital marketer I am today. I wouldn’t have been able to immerse myself in different cultures by studying abroad,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t be the same person; I have grown so much in my confidence, independence and ambition because of MTSU.”
Williams will soon return to campus as a part-time communications specialist in the university’s Office of News and Media Relations.
“I’m very excited to continue working for MTSU during the upcoming fall semester,” she said. “In this role, I’ll be able to improve my news writing skills and promote the incredible things happening on MTSU’s campus and in its colleges.”
The official summer 2024 commencement program, listing all the graduates by college as well as providing more details on the event and speakers, is available at https://bit.ly/MTSUCommencement-Program-Summer-2024.
With the summer 2024 commencement ceremony, MTSU will have awarded more than 186,100 degrees to its students, including associate, bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees, since its 1911 founding as it completed its 113th academic year this summer.
— Jimmy Hart, Randy Weiler, DeAnn Hays (news@mtsu.edu)
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