It’s important to be kind, empathetic and maintain a healthy dose of skepticism, Glenn Close ’74, D.A. ’89 told William & Mary graduates Saturday morning in Zable Stadium.
“What each of you have and what you must believe in, from this day forward, is your inherent uniqueness,” she said. “Your singular point of view. No one looks out onto the world through your eyes.
“Your perspective is unique. It’s important and it counts. Try not to compare it to anyone else. Accept it. Believe in it. Nurture it. Stay fiercely, joyously connected to the friends you have made here, to those you love and trust. You will have each other’s backs for the rest of your lives.”
Close, an award-winning actress, served as W&M’s 2019 Commencement speaker. The event also served as the culmination of W&M’s yearlong commemoration of 100 years of coeducation. Throughout the weekend, 1,438 undergraduate degrees and 764 graduate degrees were conferred.
Multiple W&M students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the university were recognized during the ceremony. Celebrated opera singer Denyce Graves and pioneering women’s rights attorney Sybil Shainwald ’48 received honorary degrees. Philanthropist Jane Batten HON ’17, who was unable to attend the event, will also receive an honorary degree.
Close received an honorary fellowship. She is only the third person in the university’s history to receive the honor.
“Glenn, for your talent, passion, fearlessness and hunger for knowledge, William & Mary is honored to count you among its most esteemed alumni,” said W&M President Katherine A. Rowe while presiding over her first Commencement since joining the university last summer.
Chancellor Robert M. Gates ’65, L.H.D. ’98 also addressed the graduates at the ceremony, saying that it is common purpose that ties the university’s generations of alumni together.
“The legacy of service — of making a difference for our communities and for our country — is the oldest and greatest tradition of this ancient institution,” he said.
“That shared legacy is what makes this home so special for all of us, so worth cherishing for a lifetime. As so you graduate today, know that you, too, are destined to make a difference.”
