Student speaker celebrates resilience and hope at Brown School Recognition Ceremony 

At the Brown School’s Recognition Ceremony on Saturday, May 10, student speaker Nwaliweaku Anidi celebrated personal growth, perseverance, and a shared commitment to making a difference during her address to the Class of 2025. 

Anidi, who earned a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Health Policy, opened her remarks by honoring the unique legacy of her graduating class. She highlighted key milestones, including the Brown School’s centennial, the launch of the university’s new School of Public Health, and a record enrollment of international students. 

“Our classrooms were filled with diverse stories and lived experiences, making it feel as though we were traveling across communities simply by listening to one another,” said Anidi, a native of Nigeria. “I am so proud to call the rockstars and go-getters of this special class my colleagues and friends.” 

Reflecting on the day’s emotions, a blend of pride, joy, nostalgia, and hope, she shared personal stories that illustrated her journey. She joked about her favorite campus events. “You know, the ones with ‘lunch is provided’ right at the bottom of the flyer.” She recalled all the times she sprinted to catch her train, and that one dash that ended in a tumble, causing her to miss the train and half of her morning class.  

Anidi also spoke about her early struggles, including experiencing Impostor Syndrome and dealing with a bewildering first course on the U.S. insurance system. “I was convinced I’d accidentally walked into a foreign language class,” she said. “I almost cried. Almost. But I didn’t.” 

Looking at her fellow graduates, she asked, “Raise your hand if you ever felt this way, throughout your time here?” Heads nodded in shared understanding.  

Anidi credited her perseverance to a personal mantra she fondly dubbed “putting on her big-girl pants.”  

“To survive grad school, especially as an international student from Nigeria, I’d need a great deal of tenacity to push through, and, of course, a wardrobe full of big-girl pants,” she said. 

She emphasized that while every student’s path to graduation looked different, they faced similar struggles.  

“We’ve all pushed through self-doubt, long nights, chaotic group dynamics, and endless deadlines,” she said. “Now, the thing about pushing is that eventually, something gives. And when it does, it makes you wonder, “Did I get stronger?” or “Did the pressure finally ease up?” Standing here today, draped in our beautiful regalia, I know it’s both.” 

Looking ahead to the future, Anidi acknowledged the uncertainty awaiting the Class of 2025, but urged her classmates to lead with hope.  

“Yes, we’re stepping into a world full of complex health and social challenges, some of which we haven’t faced in a very long time,” she added. “But despite it all, I choose hope. Because let’s be for real—we didn’t come this far just to lose hope, to bow out, or to accept defeat. Absolutely not.” 

Anidi closed her remarks with a call to action: “Please consider boldly stepping forward, with hope in your hearts, ready for the future that awaits you. Because the world needs you—and you are ready.” 

Dorian Traube, the Neidorff Family and Centene Corporation Dean of the Brown School, also addressed the audience, reinforcing Anidi’s message of optimism in these challenging times. 

“In this room we share an understanding that we are all interconnected and that society does not function well unless it offers a chance to everyone. We believe deeply in this social contract.” 

She added: “These recent weeks have reinforced for me that maintaining an attitude of optimism is, in fact, an act of resistance. Resistance to despair. Resistance to cynicism. Resistance to the idea that things cannot get better. I choose optimism—because I believe in knowledge over fear, growth over judgment, and in the enduring worth of justice and mercy. And you, Class of 2025, make that belief easier.” 

She concluded her remarks by giving graduates a final assignment.  

“None of us becomes who we are without someone else believing in us. And this room—full of belief, full of hope, full of the Brown School spirit—is proof of what’s possible when we believe together,” she said. “Drink in that optimism. Let it sustain you. And from this moment forward, as part of a century-strong family of over 10,000 changemakers, your future impact begins.”