NDSU commencement speaker encourages graduates to celebrate accomplishments beyond labels

Paige Sanders, who is graduating with a degree in environmental engineering, has a simple message for her fellow graduates: reflect on the moments throughout college that have shaped who you are beyond a list of labels, such as job titles, achievements and roles.

“The truth is, none of those labels fully capture us. They don’t show the late nights, the doubts, the growth or the moments and people that changed us,” Sanders writes in her speech. “As we leave this place, the most important question we’ll face isn’t “What’s your job?” it’s “Who are you when all of that changes?”

Sanders said she hopes the message in her speech encourages students to reflect on the growth, resilience and friends they’ve made along the way, and celebrate those milestones with one another.

“Graduating from college is a major accomplishment that you should be proud of, and the things that you’ve learned about yourself during this time will shape the rest of your life,” she said. “Beyond the titles, the resumes and the expectations, your time in college helped you discover what matters most: who you are and what you stand for.”

Sanders was selected as student representative for the 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, May 16. The ceremony is for graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Interdisciplinary Studies.

Reflecting on her own time at NDSU, Sanders is appreciative of the university’s hands-on opportunities and supportive, connected community.

“Over the last four years, I’ve formed close relationships with peers and professors, discovered new hobbies, taken on leadership roles and built valuable connections within the engineering industry. There is a place for everyone within the NDSU community, and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to spend my college career,” she said.

Sanders has been heavily involved in engineering-related student organizations, including serving as the president of Engineers Without Borders, a non-profit service-based student organization that partners with communities, both locally and internationally to design and implement infrastructure projects.

Sanders has also served as a CCEE representative for the Engineering Ambassadors, participated in the Engineering Leadership Learning Community her freshman year and has been involved in musical ensembles, including the NDSU Wind Symphony and University Symphony Orchestra, where she plays double bass.

One of Sanders’ most memorable experiences was speaking at the Building for the Future event, which announced a $25 million gift from Richard Offerdahl to support the development of the Richard Offerdahl ’65 Engineering Complex, set to open this fall.

“The announcement event was a powerful demonstration of the success that comes from the partnership between NDSU students, alumni, leadership, legislators and industry,” Sanders said. “It was an honor to represent my college at such a monumental event.”

Sanders’ interest in natural resources, particularly water, sparked her curiosity about the balance between resource use, environmental protection and public health. Environmental engineering quickly became a profession Sanders was passionate about pursuing, and NDSU’s ABET-accredited degree program offered her the best hands-on opportunities to step into the field ready to succeed.

After she graduates, Sanders will work for Ulteig in Fargo as a graduate engineer in hydraulics and hydrology, where she has worked for the past year-and-a-half.

Sanders is from Foxboro, Wisconsin, and is the daughter of Jon and Jessica Sanders.