Commencement Address: Salutatorian Brinda Bhalla ’25 (May 17, 2025)

 

Good morning faculty, family, friends, and most importantly, the graduating class! It is an honor to be standing before you today as your salutatorian. I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to my fellow graduates on this amazing achievement. It took a great deal of hard work, diligence, and perseverance, but nonetheless, we did it!

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Brinda Bhalla. I have spent my three years at SUNY New Paltz studying cellular biology, preparing for medical school, and immersing myself in the South Asian community on campus. During this time, I’ve grown as a student, a leader, and a person. And, as someone from New Jersey, I even learned how to pump gas like the rest of you.

Regardless of whether this ceremony marks a turning point or the end of your academic journey, each of our futures has been shaped by these last four years. I hope you take a moment today to reflect on all your accomplishments, the struggles you overcame and the many relationships that you’ve built at SUNY New Paltz. But most importantly, I hope you take a moment to reflect on the lasting impact that you’ve made: not just on others, but also on yourself. We have all grown since the first time we set foot on campus, whether it be at accepted students’ day or at orientation, and I can assure you that you are not the same person you were four years ago.

When I first arrived here, I had a very specific idea of what success looked like. It was grades, awards and leadership titles. So, I set out to check all the boxes that I thought defined a successful student. I joined a Bollywood dance team and eventually became captain. I started doing research, began tutoring and, of course, I kept my grades up. But as I reflected on my time here, I realized that this definition of success had changed for me. Over these three years, I’ve learned that real achievement is more complex than just a checklist – it’s about the challenges we overcame and the people we’ve become along the way. So, think about today’s ceremony as more than just crossing a finish line. It’s about honoring how far we’ve come, not only in our academic journeys, but also in our growth as individuals.

When I first started writing this speech, I asked a few people what success meant to them. One friend said, “Success is being fulfilled in my own happiness.” Another said, “It’s being able to create something that lasts – whether it’s something physical or a legacy you’re proud of.”

Someone else shared, “To me, success is knowing who you are. It’s being true to your values and finding purpose in your work and relationships. And it changes with time.”

That perspective captures something I’ve come to believe in myself – that success changes with time. Because that’s what the last four years have been about: growth, re-defining and re-learning. Many of us came to college with one worldview, and we’re leaving here today with many. And that, I believe, is success: evolving into someone who is even a little bit closer to the person you want to be tomorrow.

Of course, none of this growth happens in isolation. I’ve come to deeply appreciate the value of building communities. Whether I was stepping into Dr. Richardson’s lab as a research assistant or helping a student at the Center for Student Success, or CSS, during a tutoring session, each role was made more meaningful because of the people around me. That’s what has made New Paltz so special: the small, tight-knit community fostered both on and off campus.

With that, I want to share one of the lessons I’ve learned at SUNY New Paltz that has shaped me into who I am today and has shown me who I want to be tomorrow. During my first year, I joined Nachle, our campus’s Bollywood fusion dance team. At first, it was just a fun way to stay connected to my culture and meet people. But over time, it became so much more. When I eventually stepped into the role of captain, I realized that success isn’t about flawless execution. It’s about showing up, investing in something bigger than yourself, and learning how to grow alongside others. And that growth didn’t happen overnight, but step by step, I became more confident, collaborative, and prouder of the person and leader I was becoming.

I have truly loved my time at New Paltz, and as I stand here today, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude – for this moment, for the last three years I have spent here, and for the people who have made this journey unforgettable. The achievements we celebrate today are deeply rooted in the encouragement and support we’ve received along the way. Thank you to the professors and faculty members who provided spaces for us to flourish and grow. To our friends, thank you for keeping us grounded during stressful times. And a huge thank you to every family member in the audience who has provided unwavering support, guidance, and love. To all of these people who stood beside us – thank you. We would not be here without you.

I would also like to express some personal gratitude. To my advisors, Dr. Preeti Dhar, Dr. David Richardson and all of my supervisors at the CSS, thank you for challenging me and guiding me with care. To my wonderful friends, thank you for being my second family here, and for celebrating the highs and helping me through the lows. To my younger brother, Shail, thank you for being my biggest supporter and for reminding me not to take life too seriously. And to my mom and dad, I owe you the biggest thank you of all. Thank you for teaching me to be the best version of myself, for your constant encouragement and guidance, and for everything you have done for me.

As we move forward into a world that often feels uncertain, I challenge each of us to remember what we’ve built here. We’ve been given the gift of education, the power of community, and the confidence to keep growing. Growth, more often than not, comes from trial and error. The version of success we chase next might look different than it does today. But if these four years have taught us anything, it’s that we’re capable of evolving. We’re capable of shaping not just our own paths, but the communities we touch and the world we’re building together.

So, wherever you go next, take with you more than just knowledge. Take perspective, resilience, and the relationships that remind you who you are when things get tough.

So, to the graduating class: congratulations, and I wish you endless success. Thank you!