Completion Ceremoni speaches

Rafal Mahdi, ceremoni 1

Dear students, teachers and guests,

Today we have gathered to celebrate our graduation. We began this journey with different goals and experiences. Some of us had just finished upper secondary school, while others had been working for several years. Yet here we are, after countless lectures, exams, a fair amount of Noco, and an endless search for a parking space.

Our time at university has looked different for each of us, but what we share is that we have grown as individuals. We have challenged ourselves and, at times, failed—only to get back up and resit an exam. And perhaps that is the most important thing we take with us: the willingness to try again. We should be proud, not only of the results recorded in Ladok, but of the journey that brought us here.

Beyond today, something new awaits, and it will look different for each of us. I would like to leave you with one thing we economists have learned: that credit and debit must always balance. And the same applies to life. During the more challenging periods of our studies, we have had family, friends, or interests that have given us energy in return and helped us regain our balance.

I therefore hope that wherever we go, we carry with us the same drive and courage that brought us here today.
I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight someone who has inspired me greatly during this time, Marie Stomilovic. You are a teacher who does more than simply teach. You spark curiosity, build confidence, and help people grow. Thank you for everything.
To my family and my partner, Elma, I want to say thank you for believing in me when I doubted myself. You have meant so much to me, and without you, this would not have been possible.

And finally—to all of us.

Things will not always go as we have planned. We will face setbacks, but we have already learned that we can overcome them. We have done it before—and we will do it again.

So let us keep moving forward.

Congratulations to us all!

Gazang Aziz, ceremoni 2

I think many of us remember the feeling of our first day at MDU.

A bit nervous. A bit confused. And trying to look like we had everything under control.
For me, my time at MDU actually began in exactly the same way.

I immediately think back to our very first presentation in front of the class.
I stood up there so nervous I could barely remember my own name. My heart was racing, my hands were shaking, and it felt as though my brain had simply decided to take a break at that exact moment.

To be completely honest… the presentation didn’t go very well.
But afterwards, I reflected on something that has stayed with me throughout my entire degree.

My parents didn’t raise someone who gives up after the first attempt. So right then and there, I decided that one day I would become really good at speaking in front of an audience.
So if anyone here thinks I seem confident today… it simply means I’ve become much better at hiding the panic.

But if there’s one thing MDU has truly taught me, it’s that growth isn’t about being perfect from the start. It’s about daring to make mistakes, daring to try again, and continuing even when it feels uncomfortable.

When you think about it, it’s quite incredible how much we’ve accomplished together here at MDU. Exams, deadlines, and early morning lectures have truly tested us—especially when motivation has been about as stable as the Swedish weather.
Yet despite the stress, the late nights, and far too much coffee, here we are today. And that really means something.

Because behind every passing grade lies hard work, late nights, doubt—and sometimes miracles at the very last minute before a deadline.
What I will carry with me most from MDU is therefore not just the education itself, but the people I’ve shared this journey with.

All the laughter, all the memories, and all those moments when we collectively tried to figure out what the professors actually meant by the assignment.
So let’s be proud of how far we’ve come—while also looking forward to everything that lies ahead.

To our families, friends, and professors: thank you for all your support along the way.
We began this journey as confused students… and now we leave as confused graduates.
And honestly—that’s still quite a nice development.

My name is Gazang Aziz, and congratulations to us all.

Theodor Hellgren, ceremoni 3

Do you remember the first day? The nervousness on campus, the glances from those we didn't yet know, and all the lectures that awaited us.

Do you remember the nights? The panic before the exams, the amounts of caffeine, and the moments when we were completely ready to give up.

Do you remember the second it was over? When the last assignment was submitted, the computer was slammed shut, and all the tabs in the browser were closed for the last time.

But look at us now, here today. Dressed for celebration, with our diplomas within reach, and ready for everything that awaits. Finally, we can breathe a sigh of relief. We didn't give up – we made it all the way here, together.

And when standing here, it is actually quite crazy to realize what we are about to leave behind. Because tomorrow, student life is over. It is the end of late Monday mornings, the end of it being socially acceptable to live on instant noodles, and the end of having friends just around the corner, every day. It is an entire lifestyle we are saying goodbye to today.

But there is nothing of this that I regret, not for a second!

Because school, for me, has never just been studying. Since I am standing here today anyway, I really want to advocate for student life. Getting the chance to get involved, right from the first semester, has given so much more than any higher education credits in the world can measure.

I remember it so well. Almost five years ago, I walked into a room to apply for my very first position on a board. There were perhaps thirty people in the room. I had prepared exactly what I was going to say, but the second I stepped forward, all my confidence died. My pulse raced, my gaze got stuck on the floor, and I sincerely wondered what I was even doing there.

But I took the chance. And it is the best decision I have made. That involvement didn't just give me experience. It gave me the courage to dare to take up space, memories I would never want to be without, and the people whom I today have the honor to call my absolute best friends.

But the beautiful thing is that regardless of whether you who are sitting here in the hall threw yourselves into student association life, or if you have put all your energy into dominating in the lecture halls, we all have one thing in common: We made it here. We are in the same boat, and today we reach the same harbor.

Before we walk out through these doors, I want, on behalf of all the students, to extend a big thank you to all of you sitting in the rows behind us. Family, partners, and friends – thank you for listening to our exam anxiety, refilling our coffee cups, and believing in us. This is your day too.

My fantastic fellow students. It is our time now. We leave MDU behind us, but we carry with us a vision of what is possible.

Let us go out and make our dreams into reality, so that we in the future can make reality into our dreams.

Stand tall, be proud, and a big, warm congratulations on our graduation!

Emelie Navea, ceremoni 4

I would like to begin by thanking the fantastic committee who made this graduation ceremony possible for us students.

I would also like to thank the Student Centre, our lecturers, fellow students, and above all my husband and my family for all the support throughout these years at university.

A few years ago, we sat here as new students. Trying to make sense of Canvas, KronoX and Ladok. We were also busy finding the right lecture halls and learning how to borrow books from the library. Some of us even found time to enjoy all the fun events of the rookie period.
And the fact that we actually managed to learn all of this makes us worthy of our first round of applause.

We may all come from different programmes and have studied different courses, but the emotions we’ve experienced during these years have been the same for most of us:

• The stress before deadlines and exams…
• The feeling of not always being enough… and
• The confusion when we didn’t quite understand the grading criteria.

And somewhere between lectures, exams and long days—we changed.

We became braver, stronger and more independent. We didn’t just learn about our subjects. We learned more about ourselves.

None of us knows exactly what the future will look like. But perhaps that’s what makes today so special. We don’t need to have all the answers right now. What matters is that we have proven to ourselves that we can learn, adapt, and get through things that once felt impossible.

So now I ask all of you:

At some point today, stand in front of the bathroom mirror, look yourself in the eyes, and say: “I did it.”

Today, we are not just celebrating a degree.

We are celebrating all the late nights.

All the victories we’ve achieved and all the setbacks we’ve overcome. All the work that brought us here today.

And most of all- Today, we are celebrating the people we have become along the way.

We did it!