Genaye Deal, Class Representative speaks at 2023 SEBS Convocation. Photo by John O’Boyle.
Editor’s Note: Genaye Deal, 2023 SEBS Class Representative, is an Animal Science major, with a minor in Jewish Studies.
Hello, Class of 2023!
I’m an animal science graduate, and a transfer student. While many may not know me as I joined you all later in your college journey, I know that everything happens for a reason and I finally am on stage, graduating with all of you. My journey as a transfer student may or may not look like many of yours. Going through 3 schools. A year completely online. Six years of undergrad, with little to no breaks. Witnessing the lockdown and breakdown of our society within a month. Calamity all around truly struck me.
When lockdown hit, I went through with the decision to drop out of my 3rd year at Drexel. What some of you are probably thinking is, “You spent three years there? Why not finish?”. However, through my experiences I came to realize something significant. Sometimes, finishing just ‘to finish’ is not what matters. I wanted to be the best at what I was doing and I sacrificed everything until I couldn’t do it anymore. I decided to leave Drexel, leave my apartment and roommates, my friends, and my memories behind at the beginning of COVID-19.
Genaye Deal, 2023 SEBS Class Representative and graduate of the SEBS Class of 2023.
I decided to spend one year at Bergen to fix my credits, while most of my high school classmates were graduating college. It made me feel I wasn’t enough. Then coming to Rutgers, I witnessed people my age and much younger than me go on to their post-graduate degree while I spent six years struggling to get my bachelor’s. People starting their dream jobs, traveling the world, marrying their loved ones, and having a family while I was still struggling with my GenEds. Between mental health, physical health, financial problems, I had to endure six years to stand with you today.
But during those six years, I’ve also had so much fun and an amazing time learning, despite only having two years with you all. During my time at Rutgers, I spent late nights at the Chabad House studying and talking with friends, singing with my peers in University Choir, going insane trying to read the handwriting of graduate students in Dr. Roepke’s lab, and getting knocked over by the 3 Cs: Cows, Covid, and Cars. Long story, not enough time! So many events happened to me these past two years, and despite not succeeding in the traditional ways, I succeeded in my own way.
Many people in our society nowadays diminish the meaning of a bachelor’s degree, saying it’s not enough to get a job afterwards, but that way of thinking is flawed in its own right. In my family, for example, that isn’t the case. We place such a high value on a college education because in my family, it was difficult to get one before my parents’ generation, and even within my generation, there are still challenges.
Without my wonderful scholarship, I would not be here. I would have had to sacrifice my body in athletics or government service to be able to stand here, like my father and eldest brother did with their basketball scholarships and my eldest sister did in AmeriCorps as first-gen students. I am the first to not have to do that. Instead, I sacrificed my mind and time in more ways than you could imagine. I can’t express the amount of gratitude I have to those in my personal life and school life who have helped me during those times of sacrifice.
I’d like to personally thank some professors for granting me grace and inspiring me with their wisdom in helping me with my animal science degree. Dr. Williams’ overwhelming love of horses and anatomy. Dr. Jesse with his loving kindness and his expansive wisdom on livestock nutrition. Professor Bignell’s unrelenting optimism combating my perpetual self- doubt. Dr. Zama’s wisdom and hilarious quips about diseases. Dr. Uzumcu for his intellect and blunt passion for lab animal science. Also to Dean Etheridge and Dean Traxler for fixing my little transfer mistakes.
Sacrifice is what we all have had to go through during our years at college. Sacrificing our first, second, or third years online. Sacrificing our youth to dwell over our classes in our family homes. Sacrificing our schoolwork to take care of immunocompromised relatives. Sacrificing our friendships or relationships in order to stay home and protect the ones we live with. Or sacrificing our health to go out and work because we couldn’t afford to stay home.
But sacrifice is not without reward, and my goodness, this diploma, this cap, this gown is IT, you guys! We did it!
And no matter where you go, remember the journey it took for you to get here, because it’s what makes you stronger mentally. We graduated from, in my opinion, the best and most underrated school at Rutgers University.
Congratulations! It’s an honor being your 2023 Class Representative.
