Pomp and Circumstance
Today marks UMMC’s 68th Commencement Ceremony – a hallowed tradition that recognizes our students’ transition into health care professional careers or further study. As I witness this milestone achievement annually, I’m reminded of my own graduation from medical school.
Graduation is the result of years of hard work, dedication and learning. It’s the end of one journey and the start of another – a bridge between the past and future. It truly is an exciting time as the procession begins, and you see graduates in their regalia — the caps, gowns and hoods — each color representing their field of study and signifying scholarly achievement.
Proud family and friends look on. Tears of joy and relief stream down faces. Cherished memories of classmates and activities fill thoughts. Lessons learned from mentors and professors are recalled. More than a little anxiety about the next steps surfaces as well. These are all a part of the emotions surrounding the ceremony.
Capturing the Medical Center graduates’ special moment has been part of one photographer’s job for the last 45 years. In recognition of his decades’ long commitment to UMMC, I wanted to share a little about the man behind the camera, Kim Jurgens, the freelance photographer who takes photos of each graduate during the ceremony. His interest in graduation photography sparked when he was a college student – the first one in his family to attend and graduate.
He realized the importance of documenting one of the most important days of a student’s life because of the significance of his own experience. He developed a photography business with friends that focused on college graduations; it was a way to pay for his education as well.
He estimated that he’s photographed over a half million graduates over 45 years. That’s a lot of smiling faces.
We all have a mission in life, he said, and part of that is knowing how to serve people. Photographing graduates is how he serves people.
Those are wise words. Our graduates will leave for their individual pursuits, which may be residency, research, private practice or hospital caregiver. But at the heart of their chosen paths is a desire to serve others. It’s my hope they choose to do it right here in Mississippi. We need their skills, knowledge and abilities to help address the urgent health needs of our state.
Each year I leave graduation a little more inspired about the future of health care in our state. Whether new to health care or a seasoned professional, we share a common bond: the privilege of healing, the hopefulness of discovery and the responsibility of compassion. We must lean into these factors to make A Healthier Mississippi.
