Acceptance Speech on Receival of Honorary Doctorate of Social Works (Ph.D.)

Thank you very much professor _________ for all of your remarks, I am truly honored to receive Honorary Doctorate of Social Works degree. It is a day of great worth me, and I also congratulate all of those who are receiving their degrees today.

I have been a long journey, not only about learning the courses but life, challenges, competition, accomplishments and some failures also. There are many of my friends, who are sitting in front of me, who has been a source of great inspiration for me.  I saw many of you struggling, working hard, accomplishing, and evolving throughout your journeys and I am truly humbled to say that I got to learn a lot from all of you. Today, it is not the day of ending, but the beginning of a new and existing journey. 

Now, the question that might all of you have just like me is “what is the next step we must take to take our accomplishment to next level in real lives?”  Don't be panic, my dear fellows, don't get the pressure of getting employed, because we do not achieve all of these just to get employees. Our journeys worth more than this, NOW it is the time to do your best, it's the time to live your passion. The dear fellow doesn't put the things in boxes by defining you and your accomplishments as occupations. It’s time to do what makes you happy (Amu.edu.my, 2017).

Throughout my journeys to get this Honorary Doctorate of Social Works degree, I have learned that no one can truly help anyone as far as he is not making himself happy. One can never be fair with his job and roles if he is not trying enough to make himself happy and contented. Choose your path to happiness, and at the same time, it is also very important to serve your country. I know many of my mates, who want to go abroad to get handsome salary and a good career, never mind but think for a while, YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU, you should serve your people first. In one of my interview, I have been asked that if, I complete my degree, then I which country I want to go for perusing my career? I take a while to think about this question, but I did not manage to say, that I want to go to ______ for perusing my career and I answered I want to serve my own country. After the interview, I think a lot about my response towards this question of why I did not say that I like my other mates would find opportunities in other countries. I know what all of you were thinking, no dear I was not at all insecure of the interviewee to judge me, and it was not the matter. I was insecure of myself to judge me and my perceptions, being a social worker, or you can say a well awaken the person, I cannot find it satisfying to neglect my country and just think in terms to money (Merkel, 2009).

After more than three years, the time has come to go back home; I now have the same feeling I felt while living at my home.  This University now becomes a second home for me, and I have developed a lot of sentimental value with the people over here. Not forget, the degree in our hands is a great responsibility, we are now liable to society and the people around us. It is very important for us to make a contribution to the unprivileged people around us and try to make a positive change in their lives (Rupertscofield.com, 2013).

One again congratulations to all degree holders and good luck for the future!

References

Amu.edu.my. (2017, December 11). http://www.amu.edu.my/social-activist-awarded-honorary-doctorate/. Retrieved from http://www.amu.edu.my/social-activist-awarded-honorary-doctorate/

Merkel, A. (2009). Honorary Degree Acceptance Speech. Social Research, 76(3), 781-788. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/40972155?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Rupertscofield.com. (2013, May 2). Honorary Degree Acceptance Speech. Retrieved from http://www.rupertscofield.com/university-roehampton-honorary-degree-acceptance-speech/