college row
➾ commencement
How to Be Happy After College
megan robertson ’15
rob mattson Jessica Mestre ’10
Speeches U In her commencement address President Biddy Martin exhorted the 464 members of the Class of 2013 to “hold to your desire for poetry.” “I came here,” she said, “for many of the same reasons you did: because of the strength of Amherst’s faculty, because of the talent of its students and the quality of its educational programs. … I came because of its commitment to a student body that reflects the rich diversity of the country, indeed the world. I came, as you did, to contribute in some way to making Amherst even better.” Martin praised the seniors’ leadership and athletic prowess, as well as their “silliness and mischief, critical elements of a good life.” She read a passage from one of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, noting that humans need connections that are best expressed in poetry. The new graduates understand this, Martin said: One-third of them took a poetry course in college. “I hope you take seriously not only what you build in the way of careers, friendships, relationships, homes,” Martin said, “but that you also … hold to your desire for thought. Hold to your desire for poetry.” Earlier, the audience heard from elected class speaker Reilly Horan ’13, who talked about finding happiness in the “day-to-day grind” after graduating. “Most of the lessons I’ve learned about happiness at Amherst have to do with how I reconcile myself in a room full of others,” she said. “My big takeaway is this: While I’m dealing with my problems and insecurities and dreams, so are other people.” Horan urged her classmates not to worry about how they are being evaluated by others, and to find a community: “The good stuff comes when you stop frantically looking around while you tread water and realize that you’re already buoyant and just start swimming.” c.j.h.
rob mattson
Mischief and community are essential to a good life, say the two commencement speakers.
What’s Next President Martin devoted part of her address to the future plans of the Class of 2013. The most common employment sectors for the new grads are financial services and education (in about the same ratio), sciences and consulting. “It did not surprise me,” Martin said, “to hear that almost 20 percent of your job titles
include the word ‘analyst.’” For those staying in school, 83 percent received one or more graduate-program acceptances. “Seventy-seven percent will attend their first-choice institution, and that’s based only on
the information we have so far,” Martin said. The most common degrees being pursued are the doctorate and the law degree. For those pursuing doctorates, the top three fields of study are in the sciences.
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7/30/13 9:44 AM