Convocation 2023: ‘Nothing Thrives in Isolation’
Ekpedeme “Pamay” Bassey challenged School of Education and Social Policy graduates to embrace the power of lifelong learning, ask hard questions, and practice “everyday courage” during the 2023 convocation celebration at Northwestern University’s Ryan Fieldhouse.
“It’s quite okay to deeply believe one thing and stand shoulder to shoulder with other people who believe something completely different,” said Bassey, the chief learning officer for The Kraft Heinz Company and a 1995 Northwestern alumna. “Learn how to be fully you AND respect others who have different lived experiences, who learn differently, who believe differently.
“Nothing thrives in isolation,” she added, echoing a core SESP belief. “Learning how to communicate respectfully across difference will help you be successful no matter what path you choose.”
SESP’s convocation ceremony, held on the shores of Lake Michigan at the Ryan Fieldhouse, included an address from Interim Dean Dan P. McAdams, a speech from undergraduate Kaitlin Shaw and the announcement of the winners of the Alumni Leadership and the Outstanding Faculty and Instructor awards.
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- Read Bassey's full speech
- Read McAdams' full speech
- Senior honors students
- Undergraduate award winners
- Outstanding graduate students honored
- Meet our newest PhD's
Graduating senior Isabella Twocrow delivered a sobering land acknowledgement, while Jacob Geil and Djamila Oumarou, convocation co-chairs, presented the awards for the Outstanding Faculty and Instructors.
McAdams, who studies how people derive meaning and purpose from their life stories, also underscored the importance of working with those who have opposing values. “You will need to compromise,” said McAdams, professor of human development and social policy and the Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Psychology.
“Meet people halfway. Give in. Show humility and grace. Otherwise, you will never build trust with others who are different from you, and without trust, no big human problem can be solved.”
365 Days of Learning
Bassey, an executive, entrepreneur, and professional learner, has worked in academia, technology startups and large company learning organizations. As the chief learning and diversity officer for Kraft Heinz, she develops training and learning experiences and fosters an inclusive workplace for almost 40,000 employees in 30 countries.
One of her passion projects, called “365 Days of Learning,” involved learning something new every day and sharing it with her colleagues through an internal channel, appropriately called the Ketch-App.
Bassey highlighted one lesson for the students: Make a point to practice everyday courage. “You may have to have a difficult conversation or make a difficult choice,” she said. “You may make a conscious decision to operate outside of your comfort zone so that you can grow. Or you may decide not to fight a particular battle so you can position yourself to win the proverbial war.”
To be an effective leader –of self, team, family, organization, or community–it’s important to practice courage every day, in low stakes situations, to be ready when it really counts, she said.
“You will all do great work. You will change the world in the ways that you discussed in classrooms and in late night conversations. This, I know.”
Bassey smiled and gazed out at the purple-clad crowd of lifelong learners – her people. “I hope you will keep your eyes open for possibility, stay curious and stay focused on clearing space to learn and grow,” she said. “And enable others to do the same.”
More highlights:
- Future Leaders: Undergraduate Eman Kasha Ahktar and Chris Cvikota of the Master’s in Higher Education Administration and Policy program received the Outstanding Leadership Awards from the Northwestern Alumni Association.
- Reaching the Summit: Our newest PhD’s include Eric Brown, Claudia Castillo-Lavergne, Sebastian Castrechini, Amanda Cook, Sheridan Fuller, and Sebastian Kiguel, who earned doctorates in human development and social policy. Two others, Amy Chang and Kristine Lu, earned doctorates in learning sciences.
Reckoning with the past: In her land acknowledgment, Twocrow reminded the audience they had gathered on land stolen from the Council of the Three Fires Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomie, as well as the sovereign Ho-Chunk and Miami Nations. “Today, I stand as a reminder that the original stewards of this land are still here, she said. “We are still here.” Twocrow encouraged her classmates to “take what you've learned from this land, these relations, and this history to plant seeds for new worlds of reciprocity and engagement with Indigenous presence wherever you may go. When you're off creating new stories, remember where you're from and your responsibility to this history and more importantly to our future.”- Classroom beacons: Economist Ofer Malamud, won the Outstanding Faculty Member Award and Chris Leatherwood received the Outstanding Instructor Award. Malamud, professor of human development and social policy, teaches education policy using an international perspective and also teaches for the dual degree program. “He is so caring, patient, and kind to his students and is truly dedicated to making sure that we all learn something new every class,” wrote a student nominator. Leatherwood received his doctorate in learning sciences last year after teaching middle school. His popular undergraduate classes include Culture and Cognition, Field Methods, and Race and Education. “He is clearly passionate about the topic of research and loves teaching,” a student wrote.
- The ceremony recognized the 43 graduates of the world’s first dual master’s degree program in applied economics and social and economic policy, who received their diplomas in December. The second cohort of the Master’s in Social and Economic Policy program, a joint effort between Northwestern University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong, just arrived on the Northwestern campus.
- Graduating senior Kaitlin Shaw, who was introduced by Xiangyi Liu, talked about the pressure and culture shock she felt as a first-generation student. Shaw majored in Human Development in Context and minored in African American Studies. She participated in the SESP leadership Institute, was captain of the cheerleading squad, and advocated tirelessly for safety, equity, and inclusion. Shaw also worked at Chicago nonprofit Family Matters and in Northwestern Career Advancement. “SESP is where I learned that my personal experiences are not only relevant to the learning environment but valuable,” she said. “In SESP I learned that my personal trials meant that I could contribute to the classroom with a unique mindset that mattered to both my professors and peers.”
Learning Together: Graduate student speakers Alma Quiroga and Tuli Skaist, who earned their master’s in learning and organizational change, talked about the importance of taking your mind to the gym, or committing to a consistent learning practice with others. “Disagree,” said Skaist. “As organizational psychologist Adam Grant says: ‘Argue like you are right and listen like you are wrong.’ Take alternate positions. Clarify your thinking.” Quiroga added, "Share your learning. Share with family, friends, colleagues. Nephews, nieces, whatever. Build a community.”