Category: Graduation

Just after our 4th-year examination in the university, my best companion, ‘Tope” was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and after a few months of pain and trauma, she gave up the ghost. This left me with moments of emotional trauma losing such a perfect, gentle, and promising lady. This ugly experience activated my interest in cancer biology to study the mechanisms involved in the uncontrollable growth/invasiveness of cancer cells. Strikingly alarming reports suggest that metastases are responsible for 90% of cancer deaths. I was particularly motivated to undergo my graduate studies in cell and molecular biology at the University of New Haven (UNH) when I saw the research interests of the faculty which coincide with my research interest. Dr. Michael. Rossi who is probing the roles of protein expression and activities in the cell in response to extracellular matrices in epithelial to mesenchymal transition and Dr. Christiana Zito working on signaling pathways in cancer will be a good role models in my endeavors. Furthermore, the subject areas packaged into the program such as biochemistry, genomics, molecular biology, etc. will be a good platform to lay a formidable foundation for my career aspirations. Thus, my career objective is to accumulate myriads of skills, knowledge, and expertise in molecular biology, genomics, and biochemistry at the University of New Haven (UNH) to gain more understanding of the events that lead to uncontrolled cellular growth and metastases and develop a model that can alt this processes and reduce this mortality rate by at least 30% in the long term.

In preparation for my graduate studies, I volunteered as a research assistant at the Centre for human virology and Genomics, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos early in 2020 which has allowed me to learn real-time molecular techniques such as electrophoresis, RT-qPCR protocols, and DNA sequencing. I have also joined teams in facilitating many community health outreaches. The recent one was held on February 8th, 2019 where we did free breast cancer screening for 220 women in the community at Idi-Araba, Lagos

Passion and determination are my biggest strengths, one which I developed during my undergraduate studies, especially for biology-based courses such as Molecular Biology, Genetics, Immunology, bioinformatics, etc. I also have an avid curiosity for delving deep into these subjects, and this has motivated me to pursue a Master’s degree in cell and molecular biology

My greatest academic honors and awards are coming top of my class at all levels of my education from elementary school to my undergraduate degree manifested by my recent performances in my undergraduate program graduating with the overall best results (GPA 4.11/5.00). I equally won an award for the best GPA results in 2007 (GPA 3.73/4.00) at Federal Polytechnic, Ede despite having had to combine a full-time job with my studies as a result of the limited fund I received from home. What looks like my weakness is a financial challenge but has turned out to be a source of motivation because, despite the fact that I had to combine full-time work with my studies at the university, I still graduated with the overall best results as a result of determination and hard work.

I strongly believe that I deserve to be on the list of successful applicants for this great university.

Kindly accept my profound appreciation and gratitude for your further assessment and consideration.

The Bronx is known to be a low-income community in the process of rebuilding itself and its residents. Many schools provide a series of athletic teams for the student body but yet we see many students not participating and being neglected. Another option the youth within these communities have is recreational youth programs within their community. One of the two sports teams that offer the opportunity of progression and opportunity for students and their academic performance are soccer and squash. The soccer club named “South Bronx United” program aims to ” Use soccer for social change through activities promoting educational achievement, health and wellness, character development, and immigrant services” (South Bronx United, 2015). Another sports team I found is “City Squash” which is a popular sport within an upper-class community but is being introduced to a lower-income community which creates a powerful impact and social change. City Squash aims “To motivate talented young people from economically disadvantaged households to fulfill their academic, athletic, and personal potential” (City Squash, 2019). The importance of outside resources within a community helps students excel in school and create future opportunities. So do sports in low-income communities impact the academic performance of students?

Sports help improve concentration, fitness, and test scores and also discipline a student, which helps improve their academic performance for future years. “In many schools, physical education classes and recess have been squeezed out because of increasing educational demands and tough financial times” (Hellmich, 2011). In the United States, the importance of a child’s physical education or sports participation has been neglected because of the high demand for test score preparation. Students are being neglected the essential introduction to sports within their school and this could be an important element to their success in the future. Both the education system and students will benefit from offering students sports teams. The students’ academic progression will reach high scores eventually leading to high test results complimenting the school itself and helping the school system progress. “Participation in sports teams and physical activity clubs, often organized by the school and run outside of the regular day, can improve grade point average, school attachment, educational aspirations, and the likelihood of graduation” (Hellmich, 2011). As seen studies have been made that participating in sports can cause an increase in graduation rates, if communities that are low income can have access to these necessities of recreational sports then it will result in higher graduation rates. Since schools are neglecting the importance of sports introduction to students many of them turn to community resources.

The Bronx, New York, is a community that has many large school campuses but their high school graduation rate is only 69.90%. To help the community’s academic performance grow it must offer resources for its student residents. The Bronx is also known to be a low-income community and creating programs outside of school will help the academic growth of students in this borough. An issue that is raised by students who depend on community resources to succeed in sports teams is the difficulty of financially paying for them. The group of people that face this issue is the lower-income community, a solution that New York City has created is by providing families who make a minimum requirement with a “fee waiver” for their child to have access to recreational team clubs for free. Although the city provides this advantage many of its residents don’t know this free access and leave their children with no exposure to sports teams outside of school. “Waiver requests soared by 1,200 percent. Participation jumped 31 percent; for children who attend high-poverty schools, it shot up almost 80 percent” (Rosenwald, 2016). Families and students are finding new opportunities and programs to help students be introduced to sports facilities. With the help of waivers, there won’t be a financial barrier between the community’s resources and the student’s academic growth.

Students being part of community sports teams creates a different form of life especially in low-income communities. The students are put into academic support services such as tutoring and are encouraged to do community services which help them stay away from unsafe environments. As many students grow and progress they are introduced to many stages in life and peer pressure can be one of those things. Allowing students to join programs such as City Squash and South Bronx United will occupy their time wisely become better students and guarantee academic success by 90%. “But city officials say they are weighing those downsides against a growing body of research that says participation in youth sports improves physical and mental health, lowers crime and teen pregnancy rates, and increases college enrollment.” (Rosenwald, 2016) As the article states sports help the youth not only in academic performance but keep them away from the dangers of often-seen struggles, such as drugs, and teen pregnancy, and encourage them to enroll in college.

“City Squash” and “South Bronx United” are two Bronx sports teams that aim to help students in low-income parts of the Bronx become athletes but also support financial, legal, and academic situations for those students and their families. These sports also offer “fee waiver” access which means students do not make payments to be part of the team. City Squash is a sports team that recruits students since the 3rd grade and helps them gain scholarships to high schools and colleges. They work with private colleges such as Fordham University and use their facilities to help the students in that community academically but also introduce them to an upper-class style of sport. Exposure to a different form of sport for a low-income community is essential because it defeats the barrier between social classes. Squash equipment can cost up to $300.00 for basic equipment, without access to a fee waiver for the lower-income community there would be no way that the students would be able to afford it but the city has created these programs to give importance to these types of sports that are not seen in minority communities. City Squash also has a strict academic rule of not having any grades less than a B, if students fail to meet this requirement they are encouraged to stay extra hours within tutoring hours. Although they are a sports club outside of school their main concern is to get the students’ academic performance as high as they can and incorporate the experience of the sport into their life. The club also offers tournaments outside of the city for the students to participate in, this also gives the students exposure to outside environments which is just another advantage that the students have apart from an increase in academic performance. All of these students reside within the Bronx, so getting exposure to outside facilities, perhaps in a different state or environment helps the student’s mental growth. All of these opportunities wouldn’t be possible without the organization itself, the community local schools don’t provide sports but they provide their main objective of introducing squash to students.

The other sports team is South Bronx United which is a community sports center that helps recruit students into soccer teams. They also offer “fee waivers” for the students and are connected with the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. South Bronx United also follows a strict rule for their students to maintain a grade point average of at least a C, many of the members of this team are immigrant students and rely on the tutoring services to help their academic performance and eventually graduate. The students don’t just get financial, academic, and sports opportunities but they have had the advantage of meeting many famous soccer players. Many of them Are part of the Women’s USA soccer and many teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester United, New York Red Bulls, and NYCFC. The students are even awarded free soccer tickets if their academically equipped and have met the requirements the organization enforces. This club also travels around the city and even other states to compete in tournaments. South Bronx United and City Squash share the same qualities in how a community organization sport helps students be exposed to sports but also guarantees an excel in their academic performance.

These two programs’ main objective is to offer support through sports to help young students through their academic performance. Many of these students must maintain a grade point average to continue in the program, if they fail they are given tutoring services. South Bronx United students have a 100% graduation rate and 90% of these students go off to college. “Thirty-eight students in City Squash have won scholarships to selective prep schools… these team members have been awarded over $5 million in financial aid. City Squash’s first three classes of students have gone on to attend four-year colleges…” (City Squash, 2019). City Squash has a 100% graduation rate and 100% of these students go off to college. Both of these clubs are located in low-income communities but guarantee a 100% graduation rate which is an achievement for students. Exposing students to sports facilities can increase their academic performance and guarantee a successful future. These organizations guarantee graduation rates for their students and even try to get every student to continue their education to college. The organizations prove that providing students with sports participation will guarantee success in their academic future as well as personal future. These results are more influential in communities such as the Bronx because they recognize low-income communities. The Bronx is breaking the barrier of graduation rate by providing its students with sports introduction and academic support. It is also breaking the barrier of what society believes social class sports must attain to, now a low-income community is part of the sport squash which is known to be an upper-class sport. These organizations are making a difference in many student’s lives as well as in their communities.

Speech 1

Good afternoon, parents, teachers, and fellow graduates. It is with great joy that we gather here today to celebrate the graduation of our little ones from pre-school. As parents, we have watched our children grow and learn over the past few years, and it is truly remarkable to see how far they have come.

Our children have learned so much during their time in pre-school. They have developed social skills, learned how to read and write, and discovered their love for learning. We are so proud of each and every one of them.

As we celebrate their graduation today, we know that this is only the beginning of their journey. Our children will continue to learn and grow, and we will be there to support them every step of the way.

I want to take a moment to thank the teachers and staff at our pre-school. You have been instrumental in shaping our children’s lives, and we are so grateful for your hard work and dedication. You have created a safe and nurturing environment for our children to learn and grow, and we appreciate all that you have done.

To my fellow graduates, I want to congratulate you on this momentous occasion. We have worked hard, and today we celebrate our accomplishments. Let us continue to strive for success and always remember the lessons we learned in pre-school.

In conclusion, I want to say that I am honored to have been a part of this journey with all of you. We have formed lasting friendships and created memories that will last a lifetime. I wish you all the best as you move on to the next chapter in your lives. Congratulations to the class of 2023, and thank you for this wonderful experience.

Speech 2

Good afternoon, parents, teachers, and fellow graduates. Today is a very special day as we celebrate the graduation of our little ones from pre-school. We have watched them grow and learn over the past few years, and it is with great pride that we gather here today to acknowledge their accomplishments.

Our children have learned so much during their time in pre-school. They have learned to share, to take turns, and to work together. They have learned how to read and write, and they have discovered their passions and interests.

As we celebrate their graduation today, I want to take a moment to thank the teachers and staff at our pre-school. You have been patient, kind, and nurturing, and you have created a safe and welcoming environment for our children to learn and grow. We appreciate all that you have done, and we are grateful for your hard work and dedication.

To my fellow graduates, I want to say congratulations on this important achievement. We have worked hard, and we should be proud of ourselves. This is just the beginning of our journey, and we have so much to look forward to in the years ahead.

As we move on to kindergarten, I want us to remember the lessons we learned in pre-school. Let us continue to be kind, caring, and respectful towards others. Let us continue to work hard and never give up on our dreams. And let us always remember the friendships we have formed and the memories we have created together.

In conclusion, I want to say that I am honored to have been a part of this journey with all of you. We have grown and learned so much, and we have created memories that will last a lifetime. I wish you all the best in kindergarten and beyond. Congratulations to the class of [insert year], and thank you for this wonderful experience.

College is the backbone of my future career. So many colleges to choose from, so many majors, and so many requirements. As a future herpetologist, my college needs to have some form of zoology or animal biology. That brings 5,300 down to around 54 colleges as options in the US alone. After countless hours of searching, there are two colleges that can lead to my dream career in herpetology.

Cornell is one of the few that offers zoology. Cornell is an Ivy League university that ranks number nine in the United States rankings and nineteen in the World University rankings. This is very impressive considering the thousands of colleges throughout the world in existence. Cornell is not very popular in terms of zoology. however, in terms of finances, Cornell has the highest paid graduates out of every other school for zoology, but more about that later.

As far as classes go, Cornell has a student-faculty ratio that is considerably low compared to multiple other colleges. Cornell is a top-tier school and has a ratio of nine to one. That’s nine students per teacher. This is a very prime quality to have for a school seeing as most public universities have an average of eighteen to one student-teacher ratio. Now that’s double what Cornell has made it an exemplary option for me as I prefer smaller classrooms and fewer students. It makes me feel as if I have a personal connection with the students versus me being in a room of 100 students listening to a professor talk and talk with other random students I have no connection with.

Graduation is the one part of the year everyone enjoys. Cornell has a 94 percent graduation rate for those in agriculture and life sciences which closely relates to zoology. With the six-year graduation average worldwide only being sixty percent for public universities and only twenty-one percent at for-profit private colleges, Cornell will definitely have me an advantage for on-time graduation. However, graduating isn’t the only concern to get me on my way through life. A job after college is essential, and according to Cornell, fifty-four percent of those in biology and society entered the workforce following graduation. This may sound pretty atrocious, contrarily, thirty-four percent attended a graduate school which makes the total of people seeking employment eight percent.

Expenses are every non-rich person’s most hated word; college expenses come in many forms such as tuition, dorms, and so forth. Overall Cornell costs about seventy-two thousand, four-hundred, and thirty-four dollars. Tuition on its own is fifty-four thousand, eight hundred, and eighteen dollars. This is in fact, a high amount of money compared to the average of colleges throughout which is only thirty-four thousand, seven hundred, and forty dollars at private colleges and only a minor amount of nine thousand, nine hundred, and seventy dollars for an in-state public college. Even a family who makes a really commendable amount of money would struggle to pay this off. Luckily, there is financial aid and scholarships to help pay this college debt off. This is very scary due to the fact that I don’t want to be worried about paying for college after I graduate.

Campus life, first things first, where would I live? Cornell offers three types of housing. First up, they offer living quarters to freshmen on the north campus. In this spot, you may live with your classmates and do school at the same time. Secondly, they offer a place for upper-level students. An upper-level student may move into the west campus, a fraternity or sorority, or a co-op. With multiple options, it’s a great way for each student to decide what they want based on their preferences. Another thing that comes to students’ minds when living somewhere is food. Now the food at Cornell is among the most varied on any campus. They don’t just throw food on the table, they offer flexibility in food options. Veggie, vegan, Locavore, farm-to-table, kosher, halal, and gluten-free are just some of the options. This is excellent because I am very bipolar when it comes to food. One day I’m vegetarian, and one day I’m a carnivore from prehistoric times. Campus life at Cornell is definitely up to standards in day-to-day life.

Suny Oswego is another school that offers zoology and is well known for it too. Suny Oswego’s ranking in 2020 is number fifty-two in Regional Universities North. This is not superior to most schools worldwide, however, for zoology, Suny Oswego ranks number two in New York. It actually tops Cornell in this aspect of education. Now, this is superb considering Cornell is superior to plenty of colleges throughout the world. Student to teacher ratio in Oswego is seventeen to one. This is exceptional seeing as it isn’t too high nor over the average worldwide at eighteen to one. The less the student to ratio factors in quite a lot and seventeen is just on the surviving point for me.

Graduation at Oswego is acceptable, the rate is sixty-three point three percent. This does surpass the global average of sixty percent by a total of three percentiles. It’s not near the best but it can get me graduation, as long as I am at the top of my game full time. Obtaining a job after graduation is a piece of cake it seems, as Suny Oswego has ninety-four percent employed after just two years of graduation. This basically almost guarantees a job for a grad, making it worth the whole process. Even though landing a job may be simple, twenty-five percent of students make less than twenty-two thousand, and one hundred dollars for the first year. That’s not too much money to be making after spending years in class.

Cost, the cost to attend school at Suny Oswego is twenty-three thousand, three hundred, and twenty dollars per year. This is cheaper than Cornell by an enormous load but still a lot of money. However, with student loans, and scholarships, it shouldn’t be too hard for the average Joe to pay off.

Campus life at Suny Oswego, let’s start with the food. Suny Oswego has five very own unique dining halls for each meal a hungry student can crave. From pizza to ice cream, it’s all the food essential for students. The five dining locations are the Cooper, Lakeside, Littlepage, Mackin, and the pathfinder, each equipped with staff and food. They promise a relaxed atmosphere and vegetarian selections perfect for the growing vegetarian community. As far as residence goes, Suny Oswego offers thirteen residential buildings with unique communities to focus on and develop friends. Each and every building has its own design to display the uniqueness of each individual. They also have their own little village perfect for those seeking something outside the big apple atmosphere.

Cornel and Oswego are two beautiful schools with zoology majors, with multiple advantages each has set in place. Based on academics solely, I would swing towards Suny Oswego seeing as it has a 1260 required SAT score, which fits my score compared to Cornell with 1390 SAT required score. Based on financials independently, my family makes average money compared to the US standards, or lower than average compared to Donald Trump’s average for the middle class. I would swerve towards Suny Oswego again due to the fact that Suny Oswego is relatively cheap compared to Cornell. If we’re talking about campus life, I’m more towards Cornell because they have the expenses to make the college campus way better, with multiple food options and a prestigious campus. Based on simple mathematics, two outways so I would be choosing Suny Oswego. I may lose out on the good food and beautiful campus, as well as a higher graduation salary but it would be cheaper and be just as fulfilling educationally. It appears Suny Oswego is the way to go based solely on factual evidence.

Graduation is a time of celebration and thinking back on how we got to this moment. Having our friends and families be there to support us, and see us achieve one of life’s greatest opportunities. For those graduating it’s a time to celebrate with the friends around you who are also sharing this amazing moment that you have worked so hard for. Looking back at all which Plymouth State has offered you in your brief 4 years at school. Yet Graduation can drag on for hours, and leave people snoring in their seats.

Graduation at Plymouth State usually lasts 2-3 hours, and last year they even ran out of “fake diplomas” to hand out to all the students. It seems a bit long and drawn out to spend 3 hours in the All Well North building to just hear your name called and walk across a stage in the span of 10 seconds. And from what I hear and see most students and families leave once they go there to see that very moment. You might find a handful of people who actually enjoy sitting through the entire graduation, but I would say most people just want to get in and out. That’s why I am proposing we make graduation shorter at Plymouth State this year.

Realistically, every person in the room just wants to hear one name said over the intercom as they walk across the stage. This is by far the most important part of graduation. It’s Plymouth State recognizing you for your hard work in a sense. But for the rest of the speeches, and awards that are presented this is what needs to be fined down or eliminated altogether.

Ask yourself this, do we really need a commencement speaker, keynote speaker, the president of the school, valedictorian, and other people and awards presented at graduation? Do people really care or pay attention? Yes, they are great honors and important people, but let’s just get on with it so we can go spend time with our families and celebrate. I understand the importance of a commencement speaker because usually is a person the school brings in to give some wisdom to the graduating class. But everything else seems like wasted time and just adds to why graduation is too long in the first place.

If Plymouth State took the time to look at the ceremony and how it’s scheduled. The school could easily cut back on some of the things that are usually a part of graduation or even eliminate them together. The truth is nobody wants to be stuck in a space sitting on top of people for more than an hour. If we can hurry up graduation, more people will probably stay through it, and most importantly appreciate it. Because they will then have an opportunity to spend more time with their family and friends.

Research Paper

Schools do not require students to learn basic everyday skills but require students to learn trig functions. In an ever-changing world, students need to have the ability to keep up with the change, however, this is not the case because schools do not require students to take classes to learn everyday skills such as taxes, budgeting, and nutrition. Unless students choose to take these classes, which is unlikely considering the pressure they are under to take more advanced classes so that they can get into good colleges, students will not have any idea of how to function after graduation, because schools do not require simple skills, and the skills they do offer will not help in most career paths.

Many learners presently do not have the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills required for STEM careers. In the International Student Assessment Program, a global evaluation of 15-year-olds, the United States scores below the global average in mathematics and near the average in science. Similarly, as regards the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), only 35% of eighth graders are skilled or advanced in mathematics in 2013 and only 32% demonstrated scientific skills in 2011. Many states have improved mandated minimum standards in math and science to better prepare learners for these STEM professions. These strategies are aimed at exposing more learners to advanced ideas of math and science, and the additional rigor is designed to enhance college or workforce student results. Twenty-seven states require at least one more year of mathematical instruction for the 2013 high school graduation class than for the 2006 class. Similarly, 19 states required a further year of science for 2013 high school graduates compared to 2006. In 2013, 42 states needed learners to take at least three years of mathematics, and 37 states needed three years of science. While more stringent graduation requirements have become prevalent legislative instruments, the efficacy of these demands on student results has been little study-proof. Most studies have used information from the 1980s and 1990s that may not be helpful to understand the latest changes in demands for high school graduation. Moreover, most studies examined snapshot comparisons of how variations in state-by-state demands are associated with student results. This research can be distorted by variations in curriculum between states, financing mechanisms, and other factors that may be confused with statewide requirements for graduation.

This project provides a more recent review of the relationship between requirements for high school graduation and student outcomes by using student-level data for nine graduation classes in high school to assess how changes in Illinois math and science requirements affect student outcomes. Illinois enacted Public Law 94-0676 in August 2005, which aimed to increase the rigor of high school by requiring more stringent requirements for high school graduation. Most districts permitted high school students to graduate with only two years of math and one year of science before the reform. The law set a minimum requirement for state graduation of three years of mathematics and two years of science. The law specified that the requirement for mathematics must include the content of Algebra I and geometry. The law has been phased out over a period of four years. Each year from 2005 to 2008, newcomers were responsible for completing more coursework, with the full reform package applicable to the 2013 graduation class. The mandatory state math requirement has increased from two years for graduate classes in 2008 to three years for the graduation class in 2009. The state required two years of science for the 2011 graduation class compared to the one-year requirement for the previous classes.

After the publishing of A Nation at Risk, 42 countries improved their graduation criteria, but few embraced the suggested number of classes. By 1990, only three countries had accepted the A Nation at Risk advice for three years of both math and physics. Furthermore, in theory, the demands only influenced the course-taking of a minority of learners. Research using the 1990 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the 1990 High School Transcript Study looked at the impact of school graduation criteria on student learning and accomplishment.

Ultimately, there have been laws and regulations that have helped school systems come a long way, however, most of these laws have made it harder for students to graduate and added classes that, not only do not help students post-graduation, but most students take anyways. Schools do not provide students with sufficient STEM classes for an ever-evolving ‘STEM world’ and many laws have been passed attempting to help students, but none of these laws have fixed the number of required classes. More basic needs classes must be required and fewer math and core classes should be required for students to graduate.

Works Cited

1. Parks, Casey, et al. “How Much Math Do You Need?” The Hechinger Report, 20 Dec. 2018, hechingerreport.org/how-much-math-do-you-need/.
2. Macdonald, Heidi. “Resource Title:50-State Comparison: High School Graduation Requirements.” Education Commission of the States, www.ecs.org/high-school-graduation-requirements/.
3. Alabama Graduation Requirements. www.alsde.edu/sec/sct/Graduation%20Information/AHSG%20Requirements%20May%202018.pdf.
4. Best_Schools. “15 Subjects That Should Be Mandatory (But Aren’t).” TheBestSchools.org, Thebestschools.org, 26 Aug. 2018, thebestschools.org/magazine/15-subjects-mandatory-arent/.
5. STEM Programs. www.amaisd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_18929979/File/Fine%20Arts/endorsement%20plans/STEM%20Pre-Engineering%20ADP%20with%20FA%20Pathway.pdf.
6. “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.” Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math | U.S. Department of Education, 2019, www.ed.gov/stem.