Dr. Anthony Chow

School of Information Director

Good evening. It's my absolute honor and pleasure to welcome all of you to the San Jose State University School of Information's virtual graduation celebration. To our graduates, your families, friends, and loved ones watching around the world, thank you for being with us tonight. We're here to celebrate a remarkable milestone in your academic professional journey.

As Director of the School of Information, I am wearing my academic regalia tonight, not just as a tradition, but as my personal gesture of respect and admiration for you, our graduates. This regalia represents the academic journey we've all undertaken, and by wearing it, I honor your dedication, perseverance, and the significant milestone you've reached tonight. Tonight is more than a celebration. It is a rite of passage, and it is my privilege to stand with you as you enter the next chapter of your professional and academic journey.

I wear the colors of the Florida State University where both I and my father before me earned our PhDs.

Tonight we honor 511 graduates: 430 from our Master in Library and Information Science program, 9 from our Master of Archives and Records Administration program, 10 from our Master of Science in Informatics program, and 62 from our Bachelor of Science in Information Science and Data Analytics program. Congratulations to all of you. Your hard work, resilience, and dedication have led you to this moment, and you should be incredibly proud.

At the iSchool, we often say, "Information is everything." It's not just a slogan. It's a truth that becomes more apparent every day in our interconnected, data-driven, and increasingly challenged world. This moment in history affirms the importance of your work. In a time where libraries, IMLS funding, equity inclusion efforts, and even the freedom to read and access accurate historical information are under threat, your expertise is not only relevant, it is essential. Whether your path leads to a public library, archives, health informatics, cybersecurity, education, or data science, your role is to champion the truth, defend access, and ensure that the information we rely on is rooted in quality, not misinformation. As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out," and you are the guardians of "quality in." Standing up for others' rights to access information, factual, reliable, and diverse is one of the highest callings of our profession, and I'm proud that each of you is prepared to answer that call.

You did not arrive here easily. It took countless hours of study, sacrifice, and perseverance. Because of that, many doors have now opened for you, doors to new careers, new leadership roles, and new opportunities to make a difference.

Before I close, let me leave you with a few thoughts of your journey ahead. One, live a life well lived. Prioritize your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Tell those you love that you love them, often. Your health and relationships are the foundation for everything else. Act with integrity and kindness, always. Treat others with respect regardless of status or setting. True character is how you behave when no one is watching. And remember, you must give in order to receive. This world needs more of that spirit. Number three, stay true to your values, personally and professionally. Hold fast to what matters most to you, but also make space for others to fully be who they are. That balances the root of inclusive leadership. And finally, work hard, quality in, in everything. Your work, your relationships, your goals require time, effort, and intention.

Success is not given. It is earned. Go after it with everything you have. On behalf of the entire iSchool faculty and staff, congratulations. We are so proud of you. We believe in you, and we look forward to seeing the impact you will make in the world. So welcome to the next chapter of your life, and everyone, please join me in providing a loud Zoom applause for all of our graduates.