In February 2020, I received an invitation from UC Berkeley to serve as the keynote speaker for the Computer Science Department commencement ceremony that year. Regrettably, the unfolding pandemic compelled the university to postpone the event. In 2023, they renewed the invitation and on May 18th I delivered my speech at the iconic Greek Theatre, adjacent to Bowles Hall where I first lived when I began my studies at the university.
The event held a profound personal significance for me given trials I had faced at the university nearly ended my ambitions to graduate from its EECS program. Upon my own graduation from Berkeley, I had the privilege of representing my graduating class as a speaker at the College of Engineering Commencement, also held at the Greek Theatre. As I walked to the podium a second time, I couldn't help think of my first visit to the stage many year ago as an incredulous graduate who less than six months before hadn't even been a officially enrolled at the university.
Comments