By Julia Bogdan
Convocation at Longwood is a formal ceremony in which seniors are initiated into their final year of college. Awards are presented to faculty members and there is also a keynote speaker.
This year, Megan Clark, 2005 communication studies alumna, will speak at the convocation in Willett Hall on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 4 p.m.
“My reaction when learning I was chosen to speak at convocation was complete and utter shock,” Megan Clark said, “(Coming back) makes me nervous with a hint of nostalgia.”
Clark is the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince Edward County. She is in the second year of her four-year term and plans to incorporate what she has learned through her experience into her convocation speech.
“In a nutshell, I am the chief law enforcement officer for the county,” Clark said. “I believe my biggest professional achievement has been successfully running for office.”
The Department of Communication Studies at Longwood University has helped Clark within her career in many ways.
“There truly is an art to communicating and handling conflict,” Clark said.
She said that her communication classes prepared for her in ways that she did not imagine. “I took an organizational communication course and, at the time, I had no idea how that class would ever help me. One day, I was discussing a friend’s workplace conflict with her, and organizational communication class kicked in with suggestions to help resolve her workplace conflict. It came out of nowhere!”
Clark states that Longwood University and the department helped tremendously while working toward her desired career.
“The core values I attained at Longwood have carried me through some difficult times,” Clark said. “In my convocation speech, I plan on addressing some light-hearted college memories mixed with a charge to all citizen leaders moving forward.”
She added that a core value she possessed from Longwood itself is maturity. However, she stated it does not come overnight.
“We will all make mistakes, but the key is to learn from them and not repeat history,” Clark said.
If the students she talks to only take one thing away from her speech, she wants it to be “do right, no matter what the consequences.” Clark wants to make sure the graduating students will take these lessons to heart and never forget them as they venture into their furthering lives.
This is our #COMMunity at its finest.