Paul Micus

To our esteemed guests, valued family, supportive faculty and, most importantly, graduating Class of 2024, thank you for joining us here today in this celebration of our collective achievements at UT Dallas.

My name is Paul Micus, and it is an honor to share this moment with each one of you. When I first came to UTD four years ago and left the comfort of my hometown, I did not expect to fall in love with this campus. I love taking pictures with Temoc Santa during the holidays. I love the breakfast for dinner in the dining hall during finals week. I love playing in the small, but competitive, intramural sports leagues. But I think most importantly, I love all the different people that I have met along the way.

If I could share one thing that I have learned while here at UT Dallas, it would not be something that came from class or studying in the library. Rather, it would be from people watching at the Plinth on a warm day or listening to the people play the piano at the Student Union. I learned that we are all more than students.

Many of us here experienced the rebirth of our University coming out of the pandemic. I found that when meeting new students during this time, it was far too easy to divert to the frequently used and impersonal introduction of our name and what we were studying. If I were to answer this question before you today, it would sound something like “Hey! My name is Paul, and I’m a chemistry major.” Maybe I would throw in what year I am and where I am from, too.

With conversations often ending here, I realized I would leave with no foundation to continue building a relationship. I started to ask instead, “Outside of school, what do you like to do?” Because here at UTD, we are all more than students.

Outside of being a student, we wear different hats each day that represent the roles we take on in life. Some of us work a full-time job, care for our families, volunteer in our free time or like to play an instrument. We all have unique stories that converge at this very point of our lives.

We have the opportunity to show interest in the lives of those around us to build friendships based on humility, gentleness and patience. By bearing with one another in love, we learn what true unity looks like as a community that supports each other.

Although our stories converge at this point, they do not end here at this graduation. Like spokes on a wheel, our lives will point in different directions as we take our next steps, but this body will stay connected through our years here and continue to grow through our expanding networks.

And as we become connected with more people, we have more places to show this supportive love. In contrast to the fast-paced world around us, a life that is focused on people requires a willingness to be interrupted by people. I encourage you to not let the busyness of your life collide with your ability to be a true friend and focus on those around you during the celebrations and the setbacks. For in both the highs and lows, we can turn to others and grow together. We are not alone in our lives, and by slowing down to fully see those around us, we can build long-lasting relationships that fill us with joy and hope.

So, to all my soon-to-be graduates, I want to ask two things of you today. One, take some time to share your love and gratitude to those around you who supported you in reaching this milestone. And two, I ask that you think about your next journey in life and consider how you can step into your new community as an active member with those who have stories that converge with yours. Congratulations, Class of 2024. Cherish the experiences you gained during your time here at UT Dallas and look with great anticipation to your bright future ahead. I hope you enjoy this day to the fullest.

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Paul Micus came to UT Dallas from Midway High School in Waco, Texas. He is graduating magna cum laude with a major in chemistry and a minor in Spanish. He quickly got involved in research in Dr. Gabriele Meloni’s lab, where he focused on characterizing transmembrane proteins. Micus has been able to present his published work at numerous universities and conferences including Stanford, Rice, Texas A&M and the American Chemical Society national conference. You may have seen him featured on an Amazon Prime TV show called “The College Tour” that came to campus last spring or working in the Chemistry Clinic, where he is a tutor for various chemistry courses. Outside of his studies, he served as the president of the Chemistry Student Association and the Fellowship of Christian University Students. He loves to play in the intramural sports leagues with friends and is always looking to meet new people. After graduation, he will stay at UTD to work as a full-time Christian campus minister for one year and then pursue a medical degree.