Meteorology Major Gives Commencement Address; Encourages Students to Draw Upon “Umbrella of Student Experiences”

While the future can be as unpredictable as the weather, UNC Charlotte graduates will take with them the ability to withstand uncertainties, said spring commencement speaker Kate Grove.

“The weather, much like life, can at times be unpredictable,” said Grove, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology. She spoke during the May 12 morning commencement.

“As students and now graduates of higher education we have (experienced), and certainly will continue to experience a lot of unpredictability and change,” she said. “After our time here at UNC Charlotte, we have learned to adapt to change.”

Grove was the second student from the meteorology major in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences to be chosen to speak at commencement. Tiffany Gardner spoke in 2010.

The commencement remarks were an opportunity to culminate her activities at UNC Charlotte, which included participation in student organizations and work at the University Career Center, Grove said in an interview.

“I saw it as a way to say, “Here’s what I’ve done, here’s what I’ve learned, and here’s what this university means to me,”” Grove said. Grove’s experiences were marked by personal attention and small classes, especially within her major.

“We get that one-on-one time with the professors,” she said. “We have more of a sense of our community.”

One of her favorite memories will be a trip to the American Meteorological Society Conference in New Orleans. Faculty gave the students opportunity to navigate the conference on their own, while reconvening for meals and quick consultations throughout the conference. “They were right there to give advice,” she said.

She also has embraced UNC Charlotte from a broader perspective and is excited to see continuing advances. “There’s a lot of energy about the university,” she said.
 
In her commencement remarks, Grove spoke of a wide umbrella of student experiences that can help students if they are “caught outside in the rain.”

“Just in case we are, my hope is that we will take it in stride, just as we have everything else, and learn to dance in the rain,” she said.

Photo: University Photographer Wade Bruton