The Commencement Speaker Advisory Committee should be applauded for selecting Dr. Atul Gawande as the spring commencement speaker.
Gawande, who is extremely successful in his field of public health, will provide graduating students with a unique perspective on the outside world.
His expansive background will give him the ability to relate to a variety of students with different majors and perspectives. Science majors will be intrigued by his experience teaching at Harvard School of Public Health, while business and economics majors will be interested in his nonprofit endeavors with Lifebox — the company he co-founded.
Gawande is also active on the political front, appearing on The Colbert Report and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, something that should be especially entertaining to those who hold interests in social sciences.
In addition, Gawande comes from immigrant parents. His hard work and high aspirations brought him to where he is today. Essentially, he is an example of the American dream.
In a world that is becoming flatter every day, it will be a good thing for the graduating seniors to hear from someone who is from outside the U.S.
The Commencement Speaker Advisory Committee did an outstanding job selecting a candidate who could connect with nearly every student in some way.
Selecting future candidates like Gawande that appeal to a majority of the student body ensures that graduating seniors will be able to benefit from the University’s commencement speakers each year.
