“Even when life tries to write your story for you, you still hold the pen.”
These words were met warmly by the audience as Jayanna E. Rodriguez, a Bachelor of Science in Human Services graduate, delivered the student address at Goodwin University’s 2025 commencement. Her message captured the spirit of resilience that defined not only the ceremony, but also the graduates crossing the stage — a spirit rooted in endurance, ambition, and ingenuity.
Watch Rodriguez’s 2025 commencement address, streamed live from Rentschler Field on June 12, 2025.
Rodriguez’s address balanced heartfelt personal reflection and a resounding sense of community. “I stand before you as a product of a teen pregnancy, the daughter of a felon, and the daughter of an immigrant,” she shared. “These are labels that society has placed on me — labels that some believed would define me, confine me, and limit my potential.”
She spoke candidly about how, for her, limiting assumptions showed up early — in the very place meant to uplift her: the classroom.
Growing up in the Bronx, Rodriguez experienced a formative moment when a teacher dismissed her potential with a stereotype. “Here was an educator — someone whose job was to inspire and uplift me — reducing me to a statistic before I even had a chance to define my own future,” she said.
Rather than allowing this experience to diminish her drive, Rodriguez use it as fuel. “From that day forward, I made it my mission to prove her wrong,” she stated. “But it wasn’t just about proving a point. It was about proving to myself that I’m more than the circumstances I came from. It was about reclaiming my name, my identity, and my future.”
Upon pursuing higher education at Goodwin, Rodriguez discovered what so many members of our community come to realize: it’s different here.
“When I came to Goodwin, something in me changed. For the first time in my academic journey, I wasn’t just another number on a page. The staff saw me, and the faculty saw me — the real me.”
That difference — being seen, heard, and valued — reflects Goodwin University’s commitment to student-centered education where learners are empowered to overcome barriers, redefine their narratives, and embrace their potential.
Reinventing education — reclaiming the narrative
Reminding her fellow graduates of the power of perseverance, Rodriguez emphasized that every obstacle is surmountable. “No matter how many times I’ve heard you can’t, you won’t, and you wouldn’t, I proved I can, I will, and I did.”
Concluding her remarks, she reflected on the resilience of her graduating class. “We are not just graduates. We are overcomers,” she said. “Every step you took to get here, no matter how (…) invisible it might have felt in the moment, it was necessary, and it was powerful.”
At Goodwin, we start with you. Learn how Goodwin can help you write your success story today!
Bri Gagné is a content developer at Goodwin University, bringing backgrounds in literary studies, creative storytelling, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and social justice. They earned their bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Film Studies, and Gender Studies from University of Connecticut and a master’s in Elementary Education from Eastern Connecticut State University.
After teaching English abroad and locally, Bri transitioned to a full-time writing career, contributing to the University’s educational narratives and brand-building efforts. They are currently earning their Master of Fine Arts in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing at Emerson College.