May 12, 2008 issue
FPU grads challenged for what's next in life
Fresno Pacific University staffFRESNO, Calif. — Graduation is a milestone, not a finish line.
“I want to challenge you that while you are done with this stage, in a very real sense you are never finished,” Rod Reed, campus pastor and dean of spiritual formation, told graduates during Fresno Pacific University commencement May 3.
In all, 374 new alumni — 153 traditional undergraduates, 165 bachelor’s degree completion and 56 master’s degree — received degrees during ceremonies in the Special Events Center.
Richard Unruh, political science professor, received the Nickel Educational Teaching Award.
Reed’s talk, “Done, But Never Finished,” held special significance since Reed is taking his own advice: After a decade at FPU, he is moving to a similar position at John Brown University.
Reed called on graduates to recognize they are never finished in three areas: learning, community and spiritual formation.
“For as much as you’ve gotten tired of hearing the word ‘community,’ you’ve come to realize how important it is,” Reed said. “You need people around you to encourage you and support you as you try to figure out career and relationships and life. You need people who will ask how you’re doing and wait around for the answer, no matter how long it takes… .
“When you leave here it is very easy to get caught up in all the tangible demands of life. In the midst of all of those responsibilities knocking on your door every day, it is easy to neglect the important work of personal, spiritual, character formation.”
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