Obligation, superpowers, and dreams: Khoury College’s 2024 commencement celebration

Photos by Josie Pettigrew.

If speeches be the guide, Khoury College’s commencement celebrations were defined by, in order, a computer scientist’s responsibility to society, the confluence of superpowers and elevators, and the immense value of dreams.

The crowds hearing those messages on Thursday at Matthews Arena — roughly 500 undergraduate students in the morning and 400 graduate students in the evening — represented a majority of Khoury College’s largest graduating class to date. By month’s end, nearly 1,200 Khoury students will have walked the stage in Boston, Vancouver, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Oakland, and Portland, Maine, collectively boasting a degree and gender diversity that markedly outstrips national averages. And as Dean Elizabeth Mynatt noted in her address, the students hailed from dozens of countries and US states, and earned more than 50 different types of combined computing degrees.

READ: Congratulations to the Khoury College Class of 2024

But the stats were merely a precursor to Mynatt’s main message.

“You are entering the field of computer science at an exciting time, as well as a time of great upheaval … a time when computer scientists grapple with difficult and consequential questions regarding the technologies under our charge,” she said, citing ethical issues around AI systems, privacy, and algorithmic bias. “I am confident that you are ready to help fulfill Khoury College’s mission in the world, to use the power of computing to improve all aspects of life for all communities, and ensuring equitable access to innovation that empowers and safeguards all people.”

As has become tradition, Mynatt led the graduates in reciting the computer scientist’s oath she has spearheaded — one she hopes will become standard at CS graduations globally, and which affirms a “special obligation to safety, security, privacy, and equitable opportunity.”

“Every day, no matter where you are in the stack, your profession strives to augment human action — through networking that connects us; through the acquisition, storage and analysis of data; through the design of systems that promote creativity, problem solving, and collaboration; and through the equitable care and treatment of all people,” Mynatt added. “You have a powerful role in bootstrapping human activity to address the most pressing problems facing our society.”

For undergraduate speaker Sara Takhim, who established herself at the fore of tech-based community life and service before and during her time at Khoury College, the observations were similar.

READ: From cybersecurity co-ops to women in tech, Sara Takhim makes her mark

“[In] the essay that opened the doors to Northeastern for me, I equated understanding computer science to a modern-day superpower. These feelings stemmed from curiosity and the belief that within the realms of technology, there is potential to change the world for the better,” she said. “Khoury College has been the hallmark of this transformation for us, providing the very experiences that will turn that potential into a reality.”

Takhim also cited her father’s words on the value of calm and focus amid adversity, which came to her several years ago when she was stuck alone in an elevator.

“His advice is what got me through two painful hours of a rescue operation, and it still resonates with me today as we face the uncertainties of adulthood,” she reflected. “Today, let us step forward with adaptability, perseverance, and confidence, armed with the very superpowers Khoury College has helped us to develop, alongside the wisdom of those who have inspired us.”

Master’s ceremony speaker LeAnn Mendoza also reflected on childhood lessons as she addressed the 400 graduates and invited guests.

READ: Impostor to Aligner: How LeAnn Mendoza found her way to Align

“If you asked me as a kid what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would’ve said a philanthropist AND an actress AND something to do with computers — with stars in my eyes and a child-like wonder, not really understanding the nuances that any of those roles carried,” she recalled. “But childlike wonder is an amazing thing. We had the audacity to believe in our dreams.”

The first two didn’t magically come together, but Mendoza fought for the third — enrolling in the inaugural Align program data science cohort in Silicon Valley, involving herself extensively in the campus community, and battling feelings of impostor syndrome along the way.

“Friction subsides when students give themselves permission to believe in their journey, and when they give themselves permission, anything is possible,” said Mendoza. “This is the culmination of our countless dreams, aspirations, and relentless efforts over the past few years … This is the moment you’ve dared to dream of, and now it’s your reality.”

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