What Am I Thinking?

To the College Committee on Commencement, I wish to express my interest to be one of the student speakers for the upcoming commencement ceremony. By reading my cover letter, resume, and abstract, I believe you will find that I am suitably qualified to receive this considerable honor. Being bestowed with this honor would offer me a humbling end to my undergraduate career. If selected to deliver the speech, I would bring a well-rounded perspective to the graduates and their families. Through my numerous involvements with University Ministry and the study abroad program, I have met a diverse group of people that has opened my eyes to parts of life that I could have only imagined existed before coming to Loyola. Being a theology major has taught me many things, but one aspect in particular sticks out as the most important. By studying theology and the deeper meanings of what it means to be fully human, I have learned a considerable amount about how to connect with people at a profound and meaningful level. Only after establishing a degree of common experience can anyone truly connect with anybody else. No matter how different people may appear on the outside, their hopes, dreams, longings, fears, beliefs about a greater power, and other common experiences of any human life are all capable of providing a unifying force. I consider this skill—the skill to bring these commonalities to the surface and connect with others—to be one of my greatest. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Brian F. Gilmore College of Arts and Sciences