Jessica Caliendo: Convocation Speech, August 18, 2021
Hello everyone! My name is Jessica Caliendo, my pronouns are she/her/hers, and I’m going into my senior year. It’s my absolute pleasure to welcome you all to your new home- Stony Brook University.
I remember being in your shoes, sitting in this same stadium on a sweltering August afternoon, and hearing many influential individuals speak about their experiences at SBU. I was inspired, motivated, and extremely excited to start my new journey. I was so proud of myself for all of the hard work it took to get to where I was. Getting accepted into Stony Brook is no small feat, and you all deserve to give yourselves an enormous pat on the back.
What I didn’t realize while sitting here was that opening this new chapter of my life would create massive changes that I would never see coming. New people came into my life who taught me more about myself and the human condition than any textbook ever could. Through getting involved on campus, I developed as a student, a professional, and an individual; this even helped me realize my true passion for social justice and creating positive social change, and later led to me switching from a chemical engineering major to a social work major- and I’ve never been happier.
Finally, and probably most importantly, I learned how to treat myself with the compassion and kindness that I was so readily able to give to others. Sometimes, you’re going to hit massive roadblocks. Your plans won’t always come to fruition, and you may have to make adjustments along the way. You will have to rely on others for help and that is completely okay. Part of treating yourself with compassion is knowing when to rely on others: when to reach out to your advisor if you’re struggling academically, socially, or even if you need to change your major. When to visit your professor’s office hours for that one physics problem… or topic… or two… that are really stumping you. When to confide in a loved one, your resident assistant, a classmate, or our lovely staff over at Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), that you’re struggling with your mental health. Whatever your vulnerabilities are, accepting them and admitting them does NOT make you any less capable. It does NOT make you weak. If anything, it makes you incredibly resilient.
So, as an Orientation Leader & Peer Assistant Leader through NSP, I’ve gotten this question a lot through the years: What is a Seawolf? What does it mean to be a seawolf? Part of why Stony Brook became such a home for me is because of the community here. From the moment I was accepted to Stony Brook all the way through to today, I knew I was a part of something extraordinary. Seawolves are compassionate. We are intelligent, capable, and extremely caring. We are driven, determined and wildly hard-working. Seawolves are adaptable and confident. We take on our challenges head-first. Sometimes we fail, but we pick each other up. We are a loyal, diverse, and inclusive community. We elevate and accept each other, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, religion, socioeconomic status, or any of the elements which embody who we are. If I can leave you with one message about what it means to be a Seawolf, I’ll leave you with this.
Seawolves are family.
Welcome to the family.
