Riju Humagain

Good afternoon, faculty, staff, friends, families and graduating Class of 2024! I am incredibly honored and humbled to be in front of you all. We are here today to celebrate our accomplishments and the path we have taken to get to this moment. Some of us have returned after some time away, while others are finishing their undergraduate journeys for the first time.

After seven years in the industry, I felt stuck, unsure of my next step or the right path forward. In that moment of uncertainty, I turned to education, trusting it to help me find clarity and purpose. We all have a version of this story, and we are all here because we believed that this journey was worth taking. We chose to be here, to invest in our education and to embrace a spirit of curiosity. Education doesn’t follow a set path, and we are examples of that.

In our programs, we learned a lot about accounting, finance and analytics. One thing I did not expect to learn was the ability to make decisions and be confident in them. As we step into the unknown, we will be required to make many important decisions that may seem overwhelming. We will question and needlessly worry about making the “perfect” decisions. Deepak Chopra once said, “There is no right or wrong, only a series of possibilities that shift with each thought, feeling and action that you experience.”

Each choice we make opens new opportunities and brings its own lessons. Instead of waiting or tormenting between the right and wrong choice, trust the foundation you have built here. Our education and commitment to learning have equipped us with the confidence and trust in ourselves to make thoughtful decisions.

Whether we completed our degrees in the traditional timeframe or took a more winding path, we all have proven that the spirit of learning has no boundaries. We have gained so much more than academic knowledge: we have gained resilience, adaptability and confidence that will carry us forward.

We could not have done it alone. Watching my sister walk on this very stage two years ago encouraged me to change the course of my life. Look around this auditorium — it is filled with the people who have supported us along the way. Let’s take a moment and wave to those who made this journey possible for you. Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!

Now, take a moment and congratulate yourself on this monumental achievement. Only you can understand the value of the sacrifices you have made to get here.

Congratulations, Class of 2024! We have the power to decide our futures, and I am excited to see where each path will lead.

Riju Humagain is graduating with an MBA. She joined UT Dallas after earning her bachelor’s degree from UT Austin and building a remarkable career at Amazon, where she led operations teams for seven years. Graduating with distinction and serving as a UTD Forté ambassador, Humagain has exemplified leadership and dedication throughout her MBA journey. This summer, she contributed to a pharmaceutical company’s digital transformation during her internship with Cognizant, where she plans to continue her career after graduation.