Robyn Gulley ’20, legislative correspondent for U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, presented the official alumni welcome speech on May 19 during the Capping Ceremony, a unique tradition at Birmingham-Southern during which seniors choose a mentor or family member to place the mortarboard on their head and honor the influence they have had on them.

In Gulley’s message, she explores the way her many alumni connections have played important roles in her life and career, mentioning BSC alumnae Katie Glenn ’11, Shelby Kile ’15, and Hillary Beard ’12 specifically. She encouraged the Class of 2022 to seek out these meaningful relationships and tells them that they will soon become the alums that BSC students are looking to for advice and mentorship. Read Gulley’s speech below.

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Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Robyn Gulley. I am a recent graduate of Birmingham-Southern College’s Class of 2020, and I now serve as Congresswoman Terri Sewell’s legislative correspondent on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

I must say that it is truly an honor to be able to be back at my Hilltop home so that I can formally welcome each of the graduates in the Class of 2022 to our alumni community.

Now, the alums and I go way back!

Before I decided to come to BSC, Katie Glenn, executive assistant to the President at the time, and my admissions counselor, Shelby Kile, were two alums who took their time to show me around, answer every question I could think of, and help me feel that the Hilltop could be my first home away from home.

At BSC, I learned all too quickly how ruthless it could be juggling multiple extracurriculars with academic studies, as some of you may have also learned. I remember the first time I passed out in the library on one of the nights it was open 24 hours and waking up the next day realizing that I never made it back to my room. I remember cranking out multiple papers, flipping through 100-page readings, and trying to study for a test all in the same week. Like many of you, I know that the journey it took for each of you to get to this day was never easy, but you made it.

Each of you had to navigate being college students during unprecedented times and only the Classes of 2020 and 2021 share that experience with you. There is no doubt that the pandemic uprooted many of our lives, but what I hope remains consistent is the power of community.

I’d like to illustrate the power of community for each of you. Close your eyes and imagine if every person in this room were holding a candle. The room would be a little warmer, but it would also be brighter. Open your eyes and look around. The room is already brighter because every person in this room has their own candle which makes them unique. Kaleel Jamison mentions in her book, “The Nibble Theory and The Kernel of Power,” that when we build meaningful relationships with other people, we shine brighter as a community.

This is the impact that making a conscious effort to build relationships with the alums can have. I know this from experiences like that of my first internship with Sonja Smith, a BSC alum and the District 8 School Board Member for Birmingham City Schools. She taught me how to say no and how to ensure that every time I gave someone my word, I followed through on the promise that was made.

At BSC, there were so many people who contributed to not only making my light brighter but helping me actualize my dreams. Through several classes, Dr. Desireé Melonas taught me about the story of black liberation from the diverse perspectives of black thinkers who lived across the globe. She had no idea then how anxious I was or how much I struggled with the concept of whether I was enough. She taught me that I was more than enough and that I could actively live my life as Dr. Angela Davis says – as though it is radically possible to change the world. Dr. Melonas taught me that I could have the tenacity to dream relentlessly.

Hillary Beard, a fellow alum, and Congresswoman Terri Sewell’s Chief of Staff helped bring my dream into fruition. Today, as I walk the halls of Capitol Hill, I have the pleasure of working alongside her. Hillary has taught me how to pay close attention to every detail of the projects that I have to do, and she has supported me through one of the hardest transitions in my life.

I am confident that many of you have had relationships with folks who may have believed in you more than you may have believed in yourself at times. It took a village for me. Hold on to that support and know that you are more than capable and more than qualified to be in every space that you enter. The people that you decide to let in will be the ones who nurture, carry, and inspire you to accomplish your wildest dreams.

Hillary asked me to apply for the position when it opened on the Hill, and even though I was reluctant at first, she did not take no for an answer. In the same way that Hillary reached back to help a fellow alum, you all will soon have opportunities to do that as well.

You are some of the brightest graduates in the nation, and the skills you gained during your time on the Hilltop will prepare you to go anywhere. It will not be easy, but lean on your community, reach back, and support one another.

Pretty soon, they will start asking you for money, and I never thought I would say this, but when you can, donate and support the community that gave you your launching pad.

Candidates, please rise.

And so, it is with great honor that I present the Class of 2022 for lifelong membership in the Birmingham-Southern College Alumni Association. Forward, Ever!