the rose that grew from concrete tupac poem

These debates helped spark an interest in the law, which she intends to pursue as a career. Phipps is a philosophy major who grew to love the lively classroom discussions - sometimes arguments - around deep and twisty topics that connected ancient theories with contemporary questions of ethics and morality. We’re that way: We had the strength to fight for what we believe in, and we always had our community.” And yes, the rose is beautiful, but it’s also strong - it has thorns. “First you only see cement, then a bud, then the rose. “Despite the hardships we faced from COVID and other things throughout our college years, we were able to blossom into who we are today,” Phipps says. Phipps finally found her inspiration in a poem by the late rapper Tupac Shakur about a rose that fights its way through a crack in the concrete, and blooms. The joy of their college experience was partly dulled by the realities of remote and hybrid learning regular testing physical distancing cancellations of sports seasons and theatrical shows and in-person interactions conducted from behind muffling masks.īut the Class of 2023 also thrived despite the challenges, accomplishing great things in classrooms and labs (remotely and in-person), delivering rousing performances from the stage, and competing at a high level on the athletic fields and courts once the games were resumed.

Beginning in the spring of their first year, this class lost a chunk of their on-campus experience to COVID-19, and felt the virus’s impact in a host of ways throughout most of their four years. They were a resilient group, this she knew. Idriss Laouali Abdou, MBA ’23, a software engineer and creator of an app that helps guide students through the college application process, will speak to members of the graduate school.Īs she was drafting her proposed speech for this year’s Commencement ceremony, senior Glory Phipps hunted for the perfect metaphor to describe the Class of 2023. Glory Phipps ’23, a philosophy major and former vice president of the Student Council who is planning a law career, will address her fellow undergraduates. Glory Phipps ’23 (left) and Idriss Laouali Abdou, MBA ’23, will address their fellow graduates as this year’s Commencement speakers.Ĭlark University has announced the student speakers for the May 21 Commencement 2023 ceremony.

The rose that grew from concrete tupac poem