A pair of Drury alumnae returned to campus last weekend to serve as guest speakers at commencement ceremonies. And they brought with them shared experiences, advice on what lies ahead, wisdom, and … Hamilton?!?
Winter Kinne ’05 MBA ’10 and Lauren Holtkamp-Sterling ’03 MA ‘04 provided the commencement addresses for Drury’s two graduation ceremonies. A total of 443 students were conferred degrees, including those from Day School, Drury GO, and the College of Graduate Studies (CGS).
Winter Kinne, Community Foundation of the Ozarks President & CEO, addressed the Drury GO and CGS graduates on Friday, using the Tony Award-winning Musical Hamilton to draw parallels with the impact Drury had on her.
Kinne, a native of Mount Vernon, Missouri, originally wanted to go away for college. She ended up staying close to home instead.
“I will be honest with you,” Kinne said. “I thought I was throwing away my shot when I came to Drury. I didn’t mean to go to school here. But Drury offered me an amazing scholarship opportunity. So instead of going far away like I told my 18-year-old self I would, I ended up 30 minutes from home.”
Ultimately, Kinne admitted, “I was wrong. I loved my Drury experience. From student life to campus activities to my professors and lifelong friends. I got my first real job because of Drury.”
On Saturday, former NBA referee Holtkamp-Sterling spoke to Day School graduates about following their dreams and not being afraid to adjust those dreams throughout their lives.
A member of Drury’s inaugural women’s basketball team, Holtkamp-Sterling used the program’s early successes as a guide for her professional life.
“Nobody told us we couldn’t do it,” she said of Drury’s appearance in the 2004 national championship game, just a few years after the program began. “That’s the most important thing Drury ever taught me.”
Holtkamp-Sterling illustrated how dreams can change by using the Drury campus and its growth as an example.
“The school I’m standing in today is not the school I left 22 years ago,” she said. “The university that taught me to be the first person to walk through the door has kept walking through new doors of its own. And that’s exactly what it should be doing.”
When Holtkamp-Sterling graduated in 2003, she returned the next year to obtain a master’s degree and continue her basketball playing career. She never imagined during those years that she would someday pick up a whistle as a referee and make history in the process as just the third woman hired to be a full time NBA official. She told graduates that while following your dreams matters, it’s just as important to make sure to dream big.
“I’m not here to tell you to follow your dreams,” she said. “I’m here to tell you that your dreams, as currently constructed, are probably too small. And the only way you’ll find out is by walking toward the unknown on purpose.”