“Your past does not define your future.” That was the key message from Worcester State University alumna and attorney Nana Darkwa ’19 as she encouraged students to embrace the many opportunities they will find at the university. Darkwa spoke during Academic Convocation Sept. 3, an annual event in which the university officially welcomes new first-year and transfer students to campus.
Darkwa, who graduated in 2019 with a degree in sociology, reflected on her own path to success, sharing how she forged an impressive career in corporate law. Rather than be defined by her past habits, including not always staying on top of her school work, Darkwa said she was able to cultivate new habits and uncover her true potential with the support of the Worcester State community.
“No matter where you start, your potential can take you places you can’t even imagine,” she told the students. “The path ahead is yours to shape.”
Darkwa’s story was an inspiring reminder that the future is wide open for those who set an intention for achievement. She was one of the first in her family to attend college, and she emphasized the strong supportive community she found at Worcester State that helped guide her journey.
During her time at Worcester State, Darkwa was recognized with the prestigious Massachusetts 29 Who Shine award, which honors outstanding students from the state’s public colleges and universities. After Worcester State, she went on to earn a law degree from Suffolk University Law School in 2022, where she was awarded Pro Bono Honors for her dedicated work as a family law attorney. She was admitted to the bar in 2022 and currently works as a corporate and securities associate at a law firm in Boston.
Darkwa said that the faculty and staff at Worcester State helped her discover strengths she didn’t know she had, and that people at the school, including her mentors and bosses at her student worker job, believed in her and helped guide her academically and personally.
She encouraged the students to also take advantage of the supportive community at the university and to get involved and embrace all the opportunities available to them, as these experiences can greatly shape their journey and future. “Embrace every opportunity that comes your way during your time in college,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to dream big and pursue your goals.”
President Barry M. Maloney noted that the incoming class marks 150 years since the first students walked the hallways of the university’s founding institution, the Worcester Normal School.
“What a great legacy you are now part of,” he said. “From our very beginning, we welcomed students from all backgrounds. In 1874, very few colleges or universities welcomed women or people of color. Yet that very first year we were majority female, and our first black student completed her journey to becoming a Worcester Public School teacher just a few years later.”
This year, the university welcomed the most diverse class of new students ever in the school’s history. “We can all be proud of that legacy,” he said.
Maloney advised the students to make their academic pursuits a priority, even if they are juggling other responsibilities like work and family. If they face challenges along the way, he told them to remember that the university community is there to provide support, and that they should not hesitate to seek that support when they need it.
“Consider today as the start of your four-year marathon here at Worcester State,” he said. “The route ahead will have uphills, downhills, places for rest, places for pushes, places where you need some water or just cheering on from supporters. Think of Worcester State University and this community as that crowd cheering you along the way.”
Maloney emphasized that the university has confidence in the students’ abilities to be successful and urged them to stretch themselves and take advantage of all that the university has to offer during their time here.
“We have been assessing college capabilities for decades and we are confident, I’m confident, that each of you has the capabilities to be successful here at Worcester State,” he said. “You are some of the best and brightest this state has to offer. I’m confident that you’ve got this.”
Lily Morgan, ’25, president of the Student Government Association, urged the students to get to know others by interacting with their classmates, professors, and faculty members. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions and go to professor’s office hours,” she said. “Try different classes and find something you enjoy. You don’t have to figure everything out on the first day, so take time to explore different subjects and find what interests you.”
Morgan said students would benefit greatly by getting involved in extracurricular activities by joining clubs, sports teams, and organizations to meet new people and make memories. She challenged them to attend campus events at least once a week. “Remember, college is not just about getting a degree, but also about enjoying the experience,” she said.
Faculty speaker Laura Reynolds, assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Environment and Physics, told the students that finding community is crucial in college. She shared her personal experience of feeling lonely and out of place during her freshman year, but said things started to improve when she made friends with people that she initially thought she had little in common with.
She emphasized the importance of seeking out community in person rather than relying solely on online connections and to be patient as it can take time to find the community that feels like the right fit and that doing so can initially be a little uncomfortable. She gave the example of sitting next to a stranger in a classroom and challenged the students to not pull out their phones or earbuds, but instead to make eye contact, turn to the stranger, and say, “Hi, I’m so-and-so, what brings you to this class?”
“It probably will be a little bit awkward, and that’s okay,” she said. “Just remember you need community, and they probably do too, and somebody has to take that first step.”
In closing remarks, Provost Lois A. Wims told students it was important that they communicate with their professors. “Your professors and your advisors can help you, but only if you talk to them, so please talk to them,” she said. “Faculty members have office hours, but I’ve heard from a number of faculty who are now calling those ‘student hours’ so that it becomes very clear to you what they’re for. They’re there for you. Use them to discuss your classes, certainly to get advice about careers, graduate school or find out about many learning opportunities that are available to you here at Worcester State.”
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