Jake Munch

Hello and good morning, Class of 2022. It is an incredible honor to be standing before some of the most accomplished, driven and bright students this campus has to offer. Before I jump in, I want to begin by acknowledging all of those that have made this day possible.

I want to thank Ms. Piper and the entire events team for putting this ceremony together. Thank you, President Benson and Provost Musselman, for the work you do on behalf of all students here at UT Dallas. Thank you, Dr. Biewer and Dr. Hyndman, for your unwavering support as deans in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. And thank you to all of the lecturers, professors and staff that supported us over the years. None of us would be here without your wisdom, guidance and commitment to our success as students.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am simply a collection of random quotes and fun facts waiting to be shared. So, I’m going to start with just that. I had an old friend that used to say: “You can’t brag about ANY of it if you didn’t do ALL of it.” Well, Class of 2022, it’s official. You did ALL of it. And you certainly have plenty to brag about. The School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics is home to some of the most rigorous majors and challenging courses UTD has to offer. We have all endured some combination of PChem, Quant, Stat Mech, A&P, and Mol Cell to be seated here today. Funny how the names of these courses only seemed to get shorter as they got harder. But, as you all know, NSM is so much more than a list of tough courses and majors.

Like many of you, I was captivated by the same thing that anyone who decides to attend UT Dallas recognizes almost immediately: THE PEOPLE! Arriving at a place where young people are passionate about what they are learning was empowering. Stepping onto a campus where “the grind” and nerdiness are not only embraced, but encouraged, was motivating. When I walked across the Plinth for the first time, I knew I had found both.

I remember my first few months at UTD spent frantically searching for labs in the SLC, cramming into huge lectures in Hoblitzelle, and navigating the maze that is Green Hall, searching for the stairs that I could never seem to find. As someone relatively new to Texas, I will admit that I struggled with the freezing ice storms in the winter, the blistering heat in the summer and the occasional tornado warning in between just to make sure we weren’t getting too comfortable. And on campus, it was easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the fearless, hard-charging and eager students that surrounded me.

However, in time, I was able to find the stairs in Green Hall. I fell in love with the lightning that would streak across the night sky. And I met some pretty amazing people here in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Kannan Sharma, a self-described “just plain old biology” major graduating here today, has a depth of heart that is equal to the speed of his mind, and I will forever be in search of a work ethic as strong as his. Evan Meade, a math and physics double major, is one of the most stoic people I have ever met. And those of you that know him also know that he is wiser than his beard is long.

After nearly two years, it felt like I had finally figured everything out … that is, until the longest spring break ever.

In a matter of weeks, we were working from our childhood bedrooms or binge-watching “Tiger King” on Netflix, often at the same time. Rather than packing into lecture halls, we got to know our peers as colored bubbles through fuzzy Teams meetings. And phrases like “unprecedented,” “variant” and “Honorlock” were enough to send chills down all of our spines.

Yet, UT Dallas and its students pressed forward. We quickly adapted to an online teaching format. Donations flooded in to support the Comet Cupboard, the Comet Closet, and UTD’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund. And UT Dallas completed the construction of a brand new Sciences Building. If that alone isn’t a symbol of resilience, I don’t know what is. Despite the setbacks that we all encountered over the past few years, we have made it here and that is something to be proud of.

Throughout my senior year, I have had the chance to do a lot of reflecting. I would like to say that I have arrived at some profound revelation about my time and experience here at UT Dallas, but that’s not the case. Instead, everything I was ever told about this place only proved to be true, and I am confident that many of you can say the same. The support and encouragement of faculty here, especially in NSM, has fostered a sense of curiosity about the world that I hope to carry forward in the years to come. Among my fellow students, I have built the greatest friendships I have ever known and was even fortunate enough to meet the love of my life. And while the occasional weather pattern may still terrify or frustrate me, it’s hard to beat that perfect cotton candy, Texas sunset.

To come full circle,  I want to encourage you all with one final nugget before you go out to leave your mark on the world. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Plutarch said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” And my Dad, slightly less than 2,000 years ago, taught me that fire requires three elements: fuel, heat and air. As each of you embark on the next phase of your journey, I want to encourage all of you to continue to nurture your own flames: fuel them with a passion and drive for your work, add a little bit of heat by embracing the challenges and obstacles before you, and don’t forget to come up for air here and there. I wish you all the best, Class of 2022, and I can’t wait to see how each and every one of you burns bright in the years to come. Thank you.

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Jake Munch came to The University of Texas at Dallas from Valhalla High School in San Diego. He is graduating magna cum laude with a degree in biochemistry. He is a student in the 2018 McDermott Scholar cohort and has made the dean’s list several times. He has been involved in several organizations on and off campus including Student Ambassadors, 180 Degrees Consulting and Comets HELP. He has conducted research at the National Institutes of Health and Scottish Rite for Children and he interned for the Center for Science in the Public Interest as a member of the fall 2020 Archer Fellowship cohort. After graduation, he plans to attend UT Southwestern Medical Center to pursue a medical degree in its entering 2026 class.