Henry S. Berlin
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Director of Undergraduate Studies
“Wayfarer, there is no way, / you make the way as you go,” is how Alan S. Trueblood translates some famous lines by the Spanish poet Antonio Machado. You are likely not graduating in the way you had imagined; your professors likely taught your final classes in a new and sometimes confounding way too. I know from my own feelings and from frequent conversations with other faculty members how proud we are of your achievements and of your determination to pursue your education throughout unexpected and sometimes devastating challenges. What Machado’s lines suggest, however, is that even if you were walking across a stage in a cap and gown, you would be walking a path no one else had ever travelled, and no one else would travel again. We make our own way in life, whether we want to or not, and we make our way together, whether we want to or not. The promise of education is that if we encourage other wayfarers to the best of our ability, as teachers and fellow students, we may achieve some measure of knowledge, understanding, and peace. We have all been encouraged by our time with you in the classroom, and we hope you will be in touch in the future as you continue to make your way!