Lillie McMaster

Good morning graduates, faculty, staff, family and friends. I am honored to stand here today as your student speaker.

To the graduating Class of 2024, take a deep breath. We all share this great accomplishment of time well spent at The University of Texas at Dallas. But please hear me when I say this accomplishment is yours to celebrate. You are intelligent, relentlessly hard working and fearlessly courageous. You achieved something extraordinary: a degree in STEM. This is not by coincidence or mistake; this is a testament to your ability to achieve excellence in the education of your choosing.

No matter your journey tomorrow or the lingering anxieties of unknown futures, there is something you can do today to celebrate your accomplishment. I encourage you, graduates, to consider who helped you take your seat today.

Whether it’s your mother, who always answered your call between classes or your eighth-grade English teacher, who discouraged you, which empowered you to prove them wrong.

Consider the first computer science teacher who believed in your abilities to achieve something greater, or your freshman year roommate who taught you that a pint of Blue Bell is both a coping mechanism and a celebration.

It may be the TA or Peer Tutor who went beyond their allotted time to ensure your understanding of a concept outside of their scope of teaching. And don’t forget to acknowledge the strangers in the class Discord who always offered explanations to your question, even in the middle of the night. The creators and moderators of these communities, alongside the creators of Rate My Professors and UTD Grades, are the true heroes of the Class of 2024.

The most beautiful version of yourself is one that is humble and gracious, recognizing the contributions of others in your achievement. Please take time before your next path begins to express gratitude to those individuals. Let them know the profound impact they have had on your journey.

With that being said, I would like express my deepest appreciation to my parents, my four siblings, my partner and my friends, for their unwavering support on this path I have taken.

I would also like to thank C418, who created the greatest study music of all time, “Minecraft Volume Alpha” and “Minecraft Volume Beta.” I will not accept criticism on this matter.

Now, I want to leave you with advice. No matter where you came from or where you go tomorrow, remember you have faced a great challenge and succeeded. You are not just equipped to navigate the complexities of the world, you have learned the tools to transform it.

With great power comes the great responsibility to uplift your peers, mentor those who resemble and look up to you and debug the intricacies of our world. Use your limitless potential to program the world into a better place.

Above all else, be kind. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind.

And if you haven’t heard it yet, hear it loud and clear from me — I am proud of you!

Congratulations, Class of 2024! We did it!

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Lillie McMaster hails from Newark, Texas, and graduates cum laude with a bachelor’s in software engineering. She served as the secretary of Women Mentoring Women in Engineering for six semesters, leading workshops and moderating panels. She is a member of the Society of Women Engineers and attended the national conference twice. She is also a mentor to students in her hometown for business management and entrepreneurship. She is a strong student who was named to the Dean’s List in fall 2021 and spring 2023. She was also the first prize winner of HackDFW in 2022. She will begin her career as a software engineer for Toyota Motor North America after graduation. She is a reader of Sarah J. Maas fantasy novels and an avowed Swiftie.