Commencement 2019: Justice, Inclusion, and Change

May 14th, 2019 | SIT Graduate Institute

Tony Vacca leads Professor Elka Todeva and others as the 2019 commencement begins.

The sound of African drums rang out Saturday as SIT Graduate Institute president Sophia Howlett, faculty, and guest speaker Meghan Audette began the procession marking SIT's 53rd commencement.

May 2019 commencement student speaker Fadia Thabet.

This year's student speaker was Fadia Thabet, 2017 recipient of the State Department's International Women of Courage award for her work protecting kids from extremists in Yemen. Thabet spoke about the importance of "justice, equality, and inclusion" in her SIT education, and in the work graduates will go on to do. (To learn more about Thabet, see her interview about her life and work.)

Audette, SIT alumna and Deputy Director, West Bank, United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, spoke about the "non-binary truths" of humanitarian work and the importance of inclusivity and dialogue in the job of being "agents of change" in the world.

For more details about the 2019 commencement, view the full announcement.