Kimia Taghavi

“Salam Be Hame.” Oops!!! I think I need to go in English. Good evening, everyone, President Benson, faculty and fellow Class of 2021 students. I would first and foremost like to offer you a resounding congratulations. As I was writing my commencement speech, I came across hermit crabs, and I instantaneously thought, “What’s better than writing about hermit crabs for my speech?”

One of the coolest things about them is that they are constantly changing their shells. It sounds simple. A hermit crab grows until it begins to feel tight and uncomfortable, and then it leaves that shell to find a new one that fits better. The problem is that being without a shell is described by scientists as being stressful for the crabs and is as worrying as it is dangerous. Those shells are not only their places of comfort but also their protection. They shield them from the toughness of the world until the crabs find new shells that can accommodate their growth and vulnerability.

I admit at times I have felt a lot like a hermit crab. I began to feel uncomfortable in my same old shell. But where I was, I was not allowed to leave the shell that I was accepted in. And unless I wanted to endure some pretty serious backlash, it was the only one I was permitted to wear. I tried to keep myself small, but I couldn’t suffocate forever.

Four years ago, I immigrated to the USA from Iran. I left what I knew as “home” for 20 years, in the risk of never finding home again. Like many of us here today, I left home to follow my dreams. Many of us chose the vulnerability of living without a shell until we could find the “one,” the shell that could hold the best version of us.

The University of Texas at Dallas. Many of us came with heavy hearts, on the heels of discouragement and punishment. But UTD showed us acceptance. The various opportunities and spirit of UTD encouraged us to grow as much and as many ways as possible.

Today we’re here to celebrate the shedding of our old shells. If you are someone like me, who worries they might be shell-less forever, trust me that you will eventually find a new one, a better one. You WILL find that shell that fits you the best.UTD is the symbol of unity, togetherness and diversity. Today, I’m not only thrilled that I am graduating along with amazing fellows, but I am more so thankful for finding “home again.” I know I couldn’t have done it without our professors, faculty, classmates and all the amazing people at UTD. So, thank you each and every one of you.

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Kimia Taghavi is graduating with a bachelor’s in chemistry, major distinction and summa cum laude. She joined UT Dallas in fall 2019 and received an Academic Excellence Scholarship with Distinction. During her time at UTD, she has worked as a lab safety assistant, and in the Transfer Mentor Program, where she helped new Comets transition to campus life. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and has been on the Dean’s List each semester since she started college. Since spring 2020, she worked on developing artificial muscles in the nanotech research lab. She started her premedical journey in 2018. Her time working at UT Southwestern Medical Center during the COVID-19 pandemic strengthened her life purpose to help people, especially those in underserved communities. She recently was accepted to eight medical schools for the Class of 2026 and plans to pursue a medical degree.