Wasta Shafquat

Welcome esteemed guests, faculty and my fellow peers. My name is Wasta Shafquat. I’m from Pakistan, and I will be graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering. I am incredibly excited and honored to stand in front of everyone here today.

First things first, congratulations to everyone here for making it to the finish line. We did it! Many of us would agree that it was not an easy road. There were multiple breakdowns, late nights and a lot of binge-watching shows with approaching deadlines involved. I still remember the late-night, last-minute study sessions in ECS West, the “group studying” with friends in the library, ranting at the Plinth, etc. Not to mention, COVID-19 was definitely not easy! I remember the chaos we all experienced when we had to drop everything and leave our dorms to go home. Let’s take a moment to thank all the people who helped us reach this point.

Thank you to all the family members, friends, relatives, professors, advisors, mentors, Dean Stephanie Adams, President Richard Benson and everyone else who played a role in getting us here. This would not have been possible without you all! For everyone here and people joining us online, let’s put our hands together and give them a huge round of applause.

I arrived in the United States around three-and-half years ago as an international student — 8,296 miles away from my hometown of Karachi, Pakistan. It was the first time I was on my own, living in a completely new city without family and not knowing anyone. Starting a new life was not an easy task! But the Pakistani Students Association made me feel close to home. The friends I made there are my ride or dies today. I could not have reached this point without the solid community behind me, who have been the backbone during these last couple of years. I would especially like to thank these five people, three of whom are in the crowd right now: my aunt and uncle, Saud uncle and Nighat aunty, for being my home away from home; and, of course, my brothers, Taha and Taseen, for being a guiding force and my emotional support; last but not least my mother, who is watching me online right now, thank you for believing in my dreams and being there every step of the way.

UTD has made considerable contributions in shaping all of us during these important years. Our experiences here pulled us out of our shells and made us who we are today. Thank you to our friends for always having our backs — you all know who you are. You have been there right by our sides to lift us up whenever we fell, and we are grateful for each one of you.

Many of us have big dreams and aspirations about what adulthood will look like, or what our college experience will be. As a little girl, I had always wanted to live alone and be independent. It was not until last year that I realized I am living that dream. “Adulting” is not always as exciting as I had imagined, but I think you all would agree when I say we have had the opportunity to live our dreams in college sometimes without even realizing it.

As we graduate today and prepare to go in different directions, I would like to reiterate that college is one of the most life-changing experiences we have encountered. It’s been a rough ride, and we’ve all learned many valuable lessons along the way. If there is anything I can emphasize, this experience has shaped us all into better versions of ourselves. We arrived as very different individuals, inexperienced and sheltered, but look at us now. We have grown into confident young adults.

I hope each of you takes away something special from your college experience that you hold onto for the rest of your life. I know I will take a few things with me, like my lifelong friends who I got to know because of UTD. I hope you all hold on to your friends, too, and help them succeed. Let’s all meet at the top.

Congratulations once again to the Class of 2022! Thank you!

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Wasta Shafquat came to UT Dallas from Pakistan. She is graduating from the Erik Johnson School of Engineering and Computer Science with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. She has worked as a manager at the Student Union and as a grader for the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Since her freshman year, she has been an active member of the Pakistani Students Association and now leaves her position as president to start a new chapter in her life at Schlumberger. She is loved by many and is described by peers as compassionate, caring and hard-working.