Durango, Colo. — “Your voice matters, your existence matters, and you are powerful.” With these words, Kathryn Linares-Gray, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science and gender and sexuality studies, called soon-to-be graduates to use their strength to create a better world during last week’s Diversity Collaborative Graduation Ceremony in the Student Union Ballroom.
The ceremony honored students from Fort Lewis College’s four affinity centers: the Native American Center, El Centro De Muchos Colores, The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, and the Black Student Resource Center.
Linares-Gray focused on resilience, authenticity, and courage. She challenged graduates to embrace their power and use it as a force for change.
“This is no small feat,” Linares-Gray said. “You’ve persevered through uncertainty, fear, and maybe even anxiety—not just once or twice, but for years. Time and time again, you persisted. You did the things that scared you, thrived outside your comfort zones, and challenged yourselves socially, intellectually, and personally.”
Honoring community and accomplishment
Heather Shotton, vice president for diversity affairs and acting dean of student engagement, opened the ceremony with a land acknowledgment recognizing the ancestral lands of the Nuuchiu (Ute) people and other Indigenous nations. She also thanked families for their support throughout the graduates’ academic journeys.
“This is a moment to celebrate not just what your graduates have achieved but the community that made it possible,” Shotton said. “We hope they leave here inspired, happy, healthy, and ready to make change in their communities.”
Embracing one’s power
In a deeply personal speech, Linares-Gray shared her experiences growing up with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and struggles with internalized stigma about her queerness. She explained how those challenges shaped her understanding of self-compassion and personal power.
To overcome OCD, Linares-Gray said she forced herself to confront her fears “again and again and again until they lost their grip on me—until I charted new pathways in my brain.”
“Doing things that scare me has become part of how I practice self-care because it requires me to have compassion for myself and be in my power. That same power is what I see in each of you today.”
She urged graduates to recognize their strengths, even when faced with adversity.
“You are powerful. I see it in you every day in the classroom. I read it in your writing. I feel it in our community,” Linares-Gray said. “No matter how forcefully anyone—any institution, government, or group of people—tries to convince you otherwise, you are powerful. When they try to silence you, erase you, or make you feel insignificant, remember that they do so in twisted recognition of your power and the danger it poses to systems of oppression and domination.”
Quoting author Audre Lorde, Linares-Gray said, “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
Strength through diversity
Student speaker Matthew Schaeffer, a member of the Hopi tribe and the pueblos of Acoma and Taos, reflected on the challenges and growth he experienced at FLC. 
“Education is the keystone of progress,” Schaefer said. “It allows us to grow individually and collectively, fostering innovation and change. Your voice and your perspective matter—diversity is our strength.”
Schaefer ended his remarks with a hopeful message. “Keep learning, keep being kind, and let your voices be heard. The world is better because of the excellence you bring.”
Elijah Smith, president of the Black Student Union, also spoke about building community and creating spaces for students of color to feel supported and valued.
“We uplift one another and celebrate our unique identities,” Smith said. “My hope is that everyone who steps into our space feels the warmth and strength of a community that’s here for them.”
A powerful future
As the evening concluded, graduates left inspired by the words of Linares-Gray and their fellow speakers. The ceremony celebrated their academic achievements while highlighting their potential to change the world.
“Your power is exactly the hope we need,” Linares-Gray said in her closing remarks. “Whatever you decide to do next, you will take [your power] with you because it is you. And that is a beautiful thing.”