 Now we're going to hear from the student elected to speak on behalf of the bachelor's class of 2019 Jareen Fish Jareen has been Jareen has been incredibly active during her time at Michigan to say the least She's been a varsity athlete for the maize and blue competing in hurdles and long jumps and other things I don't understand on the track and field team She's completed internships for Wolverine Pathways and the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association Jareen was the vice president of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority the outreach chair for students of color In public policy and a writer for the South Campus Times She's been a valued member of our students services team this past year serving as a peer advisor for other undergraduate students Next year. We have the great good fortune that she will remain on campus pursuing a master's of management degree at UM's Ross School of Business I'm so pleased to welcome Jareen Fish to the podium Hi everyone Thank You Miss Norris and Professor Lance. I could not have asked for better opening acts But in all seriousness, I stand here before you all distinguished guests faculty and staff Family friends and most importantly graduates honored to be delivering the BA remarks Truth be told I only had about a half a second to enjoy being selected to give the speech before I realized I meant I had one more final In between you and I I had no idea what I was going to say let alone how I was going to say it yet Slowly, but surely everything began to fall into place I'd like to start of my speech with a story about an eighth grader who much like the BA cohort in front of you was very type A For she believed everything had to go a certain way and this led her to outlining her entire life Yet, I am not convinced this was an outline more so than it was a detailed essay as not only did this outline Name the college she was going to but it also had her postgraduate plans and even the year she was going to get married Rumor has it the outline even named the type of engagement ring she wanted Needless to say she thought she had her entire life planned out Okay, it was me. I Was a little eighth grader and now fast forward eight years. I did not like the college I thought was my dream school. I am not on the track to become the bachelorette in five years and I do not have the mental capacity to think about marriage for at least another couple of decades I'm sure my dad is ecstatic about that one For that same girl who thought she had her world figured out is standing before a crowd Basking in her uncertainty more confident than anyone could imagine I Have only Michigan to thank for this confidence not only has the school shattered my hopes and dreams over and over again from Eating sleep for dinner Stripping me of my beloved Michigan time forcing me to show up my 830 instead of 840 or even being waitlisted to the Ford School of Public Policy But it has also granted me the opportunities of a lifetime from shaking the hands of both President Obama and Justice Sotomayor To finally being admitted to the number two public policy institution in the nation Granted me access to probably the most impressive faculty and staff in the world Yet as I said hopes and dreams were shattered Though it was a fun journey and it was fun getting here today was not easy Every year more uncertain than the next and this was stressful for a girl who literally thought she had her entire life figured out at 13 Last year was probably the most frightening year of them all new school new people new degree requirements and In reality, I do not think my cohort handled this change in scenery. Well at all not even by a long shot While I did not suffer through pub Paul 330. It was okay. I was having my own fun with econ 401 I was there for the op-eds. I was there for pub Paul 476 and I was there for the holiday skit You can actually graduate about these later, but let's just say this cohort embodies strange bedfellows Each of us as passionate as the next Yet amidst our disagreements We also shared a lot of good times from the charity auction to two wine not two wine nights at Dean bars house To two bar crawls. Yes, we've been celebrating since last semester This cohort cohort has learned to come together for just like this speech. Everything has worked out So to the Ford community Thank you all for your encompassing support to my family and friends and really my mom my truest believer Thank you for everything you've done for me to be here today for I would not be here without you to the parents Thank you all for allowing me to share this space space with your children I can tell you from personal experience. You all have done one heck of a job and To the cohort. Thank you all for two of the best years of my life You have allowed me to laugh in a policy school during the most polarized time in history I have no idea what the future holds but as professor Cabo told me I know things will work out because you all are some of the most brilliant thinkers I have ever encountered and I know whatever you accomplish will be nothing short of exceptional Just remember uncertainty grants confidence. We did it and go blue Thank you. Thank you, Jareen