UMass Boston

The following remarks were delivered by the 2026 JFK Award recipient Madeeha Syeda during UMass Boston's 58th Commencement ceremony. Syeda addressed her fellow graduates as they celebrated the culmination of their academic journeys and prepared for the next chapter.

ٱلرﱠحْمٰ نِ ٱللهِ بِسْمِ

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Good morning esteemed faculty, loved ones, honored guests, and fellow graduates of the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Congratulations, Class of 2026. Today is a celebration of your perseverance, resilience, and all the hard work that brought you to this moment. Each of you should be incredibly proud of everything you have accomplished.

Behind every graduate here, there is your community of people whose love, sacrifices, and guidance helped make this moment possible. I would like to begin by thanking the people who made my journey possible.

To my parents, Ammi & Abbu, your courage and sacrifices brought our family to America together and allowed us to build a life here. Because of you, I have had the opportunity to pursue my dreams, receive an education, and see the world, even when that meant putting my aspirations above your own needs and wants. Everything I am is because of you. To my siblings, Fareeha and Firaas, thank you for keeping me grounded and reminding me to find joy amid life’s chaos. To my mentors, Annamaria and Casandra–thank you for believing in me on the days I didn't know how to believe in myself. To Jen, Maura, and Gail, my nursing preceptors–thank you for showing me the kind of nurse I hope to become. To my professors, and to the communities that shaped me—from CCER and tutoring to my RA team on campus—thank you for giving me spaces to grow, lead, and find belonging. To my friends, you are the reason I made it through nursing school. I would not be standing here without all of you. Above all, I am grateful to God for bringing me to this moment and for the strength to keep going when things felt impossible.

Although I stand here today with immense gratitude, my journey to this moment was not without doubt. A question that followed me throughout my life, especially throughout university, was: why? Why this major? Why those long nights? Why pursue something so demanding? Why continue through the exhaustion, uncertainty, and moments of doubt?

People often say to “think about your why,” and sometimes that can feel like a big, abstract idea. But for me, my “why” is actually quite simple. It's sitting right in front of me. It's my family. But not just the family sitting here in the audience–its the generations before me, including those who are no longer with me but I hold with high regard in memory. They left a legacy behind me. Their sacrifices, courage, and beliefs made this moment possible.

My grandfather was a doctor in a village, treating everything from monsoon illnesses and ectopic pregnancies to snake bites and pesticide poisonings, often with little to no resources. He showed me what it means to serve others, especially in their most vulnerable moments. I come from a family of women who built paths where none existed. Women educated in nutrition, nuclear physics, speech and hearing, education, history, and commerce. All women who believed deeply in the power of knowledge. My great aunt even started a school for girls in a community where girls’education was not valued. My family didn't simply follow paths–they created them. Because of them, across generations who came before me, I get to stand here today and build my own village.

A village grows through the people we meet along the way. Whether it be the classmates who became our support systems, the mentors who guided us when we were lost, even the familiar faces—like the baristas at ISC Café who remember your order without you having to say it. The people who take the time to teach, to encourage, and to believe in us.

Through them, we built our village and today, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that village. But gratitude isn't about just looking back. It is about what we choose to do moving forward.

As we step into this next chapter of our lives, we are no longer just the ones being guided–we are becoming the ones others will look to for guidance. We will be the ones who will mentor, who will teach, who will give people a place to belong. I believe honoring your "why" isn't just about remembering where you came from–it's also about what you choose to build because of it. It's about becoming a part of someone else’s village, the same way others were part of yours.

But standing here today, I also have to acknowledge the privilege of access to higher education. The privilege of immigrating to a country where pursuing a university education in a field of my choice could become a possibility for me. The privilege of having parents who encouraged me to pursue my dreams, classrooms where I could learn freely, and the ability to imagine a future and work toward it. Not everyone is given those opportunities.

There are young people around the world with the same dreams and potential, who do not have the safety or freedom to sit where we are today. So, I want to take a moment to remember them: the children and students in Gaza, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Myanmar, Haiti, Ukraine, and so many other parts of the world whose lives and futures have been disrupted by conflict, instability, and loss. Many may never get to experience a day like this.

However, acknowledging that reality does not take away from our celebration; rather, it gives it meaning.

Privilege isn't something to feel guilty about. It is something to be grateful for and something to be responsible with. As we move forward for what is ahead for us–that responsibility matters.

So, hold onto your “why.” Protect it. Return to it. Let it guide you on the days that feel heavy and remind you why you chase this path in the first place.

For me, my why will shape the kind of nurse I become. A nurse who listens. A nurse who advocates. A nurse who shows up. A nurse for every patient, every background, every culture, and every story–across every part of the world.

To my fellow graduates, no matter what path you are stepping into, hold on to your “why.” Your “why” will shape you too. It will show up in the way you treat people, in the choices you make, and the impact you leave behind.

As you move forward, don't just chase success–build something meaningful. Be someone others can rely on. Be someone who creates space for others. Be a part of someone else's village.

As we step into whatever comes next, may we lead with gratitude, stay grounded in our “why,” and continue building the kind of world we want to be part of–together. Looking out at all of you today, I know that the world is in good hands.

Congratulations again, Class of 2026. Thank you.