‘Dear World: We Made It’

Convocation is full of many special moments, and this was one of them.

At the School of Nursing and Medical Radiation Sciences Program ceremony on June 10, valedictorian Rua El-kasheef received a standing ovation for her unique approach to the valedictory address. The full text of her poem, “Dear World: We Made It,” can be found below, along with a video of Rua’s speech. 

“Dear World: We Made It” 

By: Rua El-kasheef

Straight out of high school, or starting a new career,

We met so many beautiful, faces here.

From all walks of life,

We come together as one.

To make this world better,

Through healthcare, our journey has just begun.

It seemed a daunting and almost impossible task.

In 4 years all our expectations surpassed.

From day 1 to day 1460,

It was definitely more than a little bit tricky.

But, we made it. 

~

Nervous, anxious and scared.

We plunged our noses into very heavy and very expensive textbooks.

Some of us experienced the effects of caffeine for the first time.

Some of us relying on the power of osmosis.

Despite the expected heart palpitations and the adrenaline rush we often experienced before a test,

The majority relied on late nights and early morning that brought about a sense of accomplishment only after our test scores came back sufficient to allow us to proceed.

However, exhaustion soon caught up to us as we spent the rest of the day fighting off sleep and attempting to look lively.

Through tough times, we learned valuable lessons.

And this time, it was that while pursuing a post secondary education, procrastination is no longer a valid option.

But, we made it.

~

Coming into our own,

We learned things about our personality.

Tried to develop good personal habits.

Succeeded in bettering ourselves as a whole,

In our academics, and in our personal lives.

We discovered things about our likes and dislikes.

Our strengths, our weaknesses,

And we built on them.

Built a strong foundation.

Spent time meeting people.

Peers, professors and professionals alike.

Building life long friendships.

Learning that to live healthy, life long – requires a balance.

Realizing that a university and/or college is not only a place to expand your mind,

But to expand your soul and your social circle.

By practicing our skills and training hard,

We developed into competent health professionals – ready to face the world.

Finally, we made it.

~

We made it through long lectures, long labs and even longer days.

We made it through late nights and early mornings.

Hard tests and even harder exams.

We made it through long restless weeks,

Guaranteed to make for a weekend full of sleep.

We competed for descent lab time slots.

For seats in class,

For a good spot in the library.

More importantly, we worked together.

To teach each other.

To learn from each other.

To grow together.

Drew from the strengths of others,

And learned to support weaknesses.

We sit here today because we managed to swim through this vast ocean of knowledge that is a post secondary education.

We are proud, we made it.

~

We made it through placement selection.

Through relocations and commutes.

We made it through our first day at work.

Through our first code – not quite sure what to do, but on high alert.

We made it through our first patient experience.

And being thrown into seemingly impossible cases just to see how you handle it.

We made it through our first professional interaction with a doctor.

Despite being intimidated by their brilliance.

Stepping into their office and praying they didn’t ask you a question you can’t remember the answer to.

Delighted when they ask one that you know through and through.

Even more ecstatic at the realization that they are really not that scary.

That they are people just like you and I.

That they want to help you learn and be better.

Thankful for all the support students receive.

The most rewarding of all, is those wonderful patients that love to ask lots of questions.

Even go as far as to ask if you are old enough to be working there.

Their support and kinds words mean the world.

Thank you, and FYI, we made it.

~

It’s true – at times the real world seems like a jungle.

A scary place for a new graduate.

Where ignorance is fatal, and companionship is essential.

I learned that no matter how much you pay attention in class,

There are some lessons that can never be learned there.

That real lessons, real world lessons – can only be learned in the real world

And this can be scary.

But, we made it.

~

That being said.

I must say thank you.

To McMaster, Mohawk and Conestoga.

To our programs.

To my peers, to our families.

And a big thanks to our professors and preceptors.

They have helped us to become leaders in own right.

Through them,

I’ve learned that leadership does not come through big actions and big words.

But through small ones, kind gestures and patients.

That maturity is more than just being responsible for yourself,

Or finishing your assignments on time.

But that in our lives, and in this field.

Maturity is about empathy.

For everyone around you,

All day, everyday.

It is about accepting people’s differences, and using them advantageously to better the situation.

It is about taking advantage of down time.

And knowing that your positive attitude will impact those even if your interaction was brief.

Thank you to all those who have helped us along the way.

This transition has been made easier because of you.

When we leave these institutions.

We may not know everything.

But now, we certainly have the tools to figure it out.

Fellow peers I appreciate you and hope all your wishes come true.

Congratulations are in order.

Cheers, we made it!