‘Keep the door open for the next Wildcat’

When the members of the Class of 2026 gathered at the United Center to celebrate commencement, they got to hear two of their own reflect on their time at Northwestern and what’s next.

Northwestern Now caught up with this year’s student speakers to learn more about what inspired their speeches.

Hold the door open

Graduate student speaker Ngoc-Tram “Tram” Hoa Nguyen completed the JD-MBA program offered by Northwestern Pritzker Law and the Kellogg School of Management.

Because she had classes on both campuses, Nguyen took Northwestern’s intercampus shuttle almost daily. Her speech was a tribute to her fellow riders, whom she witnessed in moments of stress, humor and everything in between. She was particularly inspired by one conversation with an older woman traveling downtown for a continuing education program.

“She had this infectious joy, just talking about being able to go to school and be in community again,” Nguyen said.

She wanted her speech to evoke that same feeling of joy and gratitude for her fellow members of the Class of 2026.

“Remember why you chose Northwestern in the first place, not because you look good in purple — which I’m sure you do — but because you were so eager and excited to learn and be in community with people,” she said. “I hope that we can always hold on to that.”

The first in her family to complete high school, college and now grad school, Nguyen is especially mindful of the work of the parents, teachers and other mentors who made it possible for her to earn her degrees and find the right opportunities.

After graduation, Nguyen will be a fellow at Lawyers Alliance in New York City, through the National Center on Philanthropy and the Law. As she and her fellow graduates take their next steps, her hope is that they “keep the door open for the next Wildcat coming through.”

“I feel that we carry a great responsibility leaving an institution like Northwestern and going into the world,” she said.

Use discomfort to help you grow

The undergraduate speaker, Sydney-Reese Harris, studied economics and global health at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. The Phoenix native started by turning back the clock to Wildcat Welcome.  

In a new city and surrounded by unfamiliar faces, Harris found herself homesick in her first few days on campus. Other challenges would follow, whether in the form of a changed major or finding the right fit in student organizations, or the tumultuous landscape of higher education as a whole in recent years.

But these moments of uncertainty, Harris said, were key to her journey.

“When you become comfortable with being uncomfortable, you can really use those opportunities to grow,” she said. “I truly think that unless you’re uncomfortable, you can’t grow.”

Getting out of her comfort zone led Harris to experiences including studying abroad in Ireland and co-chairing the Associated Student Government finance committee, where she honed skills she’ll use in her next chapter as a financial analyst for Bank of America in New York City.  And, last fall, it led her to become a peer adviser for Wildcat Welcome, helping members of the Class of 2029 learn the skills they’ll need to take their own big leaps at Northwestern.

As Harris and her peers embark on their post-graduation lives, they are bound to encounter new situations and challenges. What’s important, she said, is to embrace those situations, rather than succumbing to fear, and Northwestern has given them the tools to do just that.

“You didn't just gain a degree here,” Harris said. “You gained growth, you gained resilience, you gained a community that will last a lifetime.”