Rustin Mehrabani-Farsi
Have confidence that wherever life takes you, there will always be others who carry this flame, and we will help each other burn bright.
– Rustin Mehrabani-Farsi
Good afternoon. First and foremost, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our dear families and friends who have taken the time out of their day to travel here and join us in celebrating this momentous occasion. Every one of you have played a role in inspiring and encouraging someone in this room to pursue what they love, and today’s celebration is made even sweeter with each one of you joining us.
My fellow graduates, as we pause to reflect on this chapter of our journey that led us through this school together, many of us are reminded of the extenuating circumstances we had to live with upon our arrival. For many of us, it was a period where we felt more isolated and uncertain about our future than we’d ever felt in our lives. Yet we persevered despite the daunting circumstances. We came together and created a community, first online where everyone was represented by profile icons ranging from anime characters to Adam Sandler to a buff Duolingo owl, before coming together and meeting in person. Regardless, even when we couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, we were able to come together and spark our own light — one fueled by a mutual passion for creation.
As members of the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology, that collective passion is our defining characteristic. It’s the spark that ignited this fervent desire in each of us to embark on the journey down this path in life. Whether you’ve charted this course for years, or had just recently discovered your flame, our paths have converged at this school in the pursuit of this artistic drive. As much as we wish it wouldn’t, the flame of passion can fluctuate and dwindle. For each of us throughout our journey, there have been moments when we felt burnt out, doubted our abilities, and questioned if we were ever on the right path to begin with. Many of you may be experiencing this doubt right now as we try to figure out what comes next for us. It’s easy for us to feel discouraged when we lose sight of our inspiration, but what’s made our journey here so beautiful is that we didn’t have to walk our path alone. The people I’ve met at the Bass School display so much artistic infatuation, not just for their own endeavors, but also for each other as we pursue what we love together. I’ve repeatedly witnessed students get just as excited for their peers’ projects as they have for their own, and, speaking from personal experience, that support from others can serve as a great blessing that encourages someone to keep going when they doubt themselves.
We as people study the arts, not because we’re selfishly invested in what we’ve made as individuals, but because we’re passionate about the endless possibilities of what we can create as people. This kind of flame is self-sustaining, and is what allows us to create possibilities that no one person could achieve on their own. Have confidence that wherever life takes you, there will always be others who carry this flame, and we will help each other burn bright.
Whenever I’ve shared the work our school has done with a family member or friend outside the program, their initial reaction is usually disbelief. They often say something about us being crazy, and they can’t believe the sheer level of mastery, passion, and dedication to their craft our school community has to accomplish what we’ve created. I’ve spent eight crazy semesters at the Bass School, and I still can’t believe it either. And I feel honored to have been
surrounded by people who inspire me every day with their passion and skills.
My fellow graduates, our chapter together at this school may be coming to an end, but each of our stories are far from over. No matter what the next step is for you on your journey, whether you’re starting a new job next week, plan to attend grad school in the fall, or are moving back in with your parents as you continue your seemingly endless series of job applications, I encourage you to take the time today to look back and celebrate how far you’ve made it on your journey, despite the uncertainties you had about your future. Then I encourage you to look ahead with excitement and anticipation, because the best is yet to come.
Rustin Mehrabani-Farsi is graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in arts, technology, and emerging communication, with a concentration in animation. His focus has been on lighting for film and postproduction elements. Mehrabani-Farsi has contributed as a lighting artist on two animated short films produced by the Bass School, and served as co-director of his capstone project titled “Haymaker.” Additionally, he has served as a support technician for the Bass School for two and ½ years, actively participates in UTD’s Animation Guild, and has achieved Dean’s List recognition multiple times. Beyond his academics, Mehrabani-Farsi is an Eagle Scout and has raised over $2,600 to support victims of human trafficking.