John Taden

I come from a town in Northern Ghana known as Saboba. As the British and the French would have it in 1946, the border between Ghana and Togo runs through my town. We have relatives on the other side of the border in Togo. They speak French; we speak English.

When I was a kid, I was crossing the border with my dad to attend a relative’s funeral. I remember looking over at my dad and saying, “Dad, I’m sure that as TIME goes on, all these artificial borders separating us from our relatives will one day disappear like a miracle, and we will all become one again.” My dad looked at me, careful not to smile too much as always, and said, “Son, TIME will never bring us back together.” Then he continued, “TIME did not regain independence for our country. And time, certainly, will not restore peace among our people!”

President Benson, esteemed professors, beloved parents and colleague students, it is a delight to be selected to address all of you today.

Attending UT Dallas has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. And I hope it has been for you, too.

No matter how long ago your UT Dallas journey started, whether two years ago, four years ago or even six years ago, you have earned your seat here today. Congratulations. Give yourself a big round of applause.

One of the privileges of my time here was the opportunity to teach classes as an instructor of record. In this role, I came across all types of students with various struggles that often no one had any idea about.

I met a first-generation college student whose family, for three years, had no internet at home for your take-home assignments. But today, you are here! I met a full-time line worker who juggled work schedules with group meetings for four straight years to earn a degree. But today, you are here! I met an international student who had to shoulder the burden of mastering the compositional strategies of a second language to earn a U.S. education. But today, you are here! There was the athlete who needed time every other week out of town to keep a dream alive. Today, I see you in the crowd!

Friends, I couldn’t give this speech without acknowledging the presence of those of you who have humbled me more than anything I have ever experienced. This past year was unkind to many. But you bore burdens that no student should ever bear. There were a couple of you who had to go on hospital admission to fight for your lives, literally. You made it back! There were a couple of you who needed time away, not once or twice, but three times, to go bury loved ones. You made it back! And there was the one who requested an Incomplete in an email in which you said, “Professor, I don’t know what I’m going to do now.” You made it back!

Fellow Comets, I wish I could say that it’s all over now. But that will not be true. There will be days when you would have even more questions than answers. That’s OK. But don’t stop asking. There will be days when you feel like settling for less. That’s OK, too. But don’t settle. There might even be days coming when you feel like letting it all go. That’s probably OK, too. But you cannot let it all go! Your presence here today is the ultimate expression of your power to survive! What can defeat you does not exist anymore.

Beloved, as you go out there, the world will look up to you for answers to questions you do not have the right answers to yet. Do not look the other way; but especially, do not leave it to TIME.

You have heard time and again that TIME reveals all answers, or that TIME heals everything or that TIME restores everything. No! It does not. You do! We did not come this far in the fight against the pandemic because of TIME. Scientists opened new labs. Nurses clocked in extra hours, and you stayed 6 feet apart. Remember when we were told at the beginning that with TIME it would all disappear like a miracle, and yet it turned into a pandemic? I do, too.

My fellow students and dear friends, TIME has not and will never heal the injustices of our society. You will! TIME has not and will never eliminate the inequalities of our society. You will! TIME has not and will never make our society kinder, fairer and greener. You will!

Congratulations! Step out; reclaim your time; and make it count!

Thank you.

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Dr. John Taden came to UT Dallas from Ghana and graduated with a PhD in public policy and political economy and a master’s in social data analytics and research. During his time at UT Dallas, he co-founded the Public Policy and Political Economy Club; served as an editor, host, and researcher for the Politics, Economics, and Policy podcast; and gave a TED talk for the UTD TEDx branch. Throughout his time at UTD, he designed syllabi and taught four classes as the instructor of record, mentored several undergraduate students, and assisted professors in the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences in their research. Outside the classroom, he regularly grants interviews to TV and radio stations in Ghana on public policy matters. In fulfillment of his dream of becoming a professor, Taden has secured a tenure-track job as an assistant professor of international studies at Pepperdine University.