Rutgers-Camden Law School Student Address to the Class of 2010

The following speech was delivered by Shannon Troutman to her fellow classmates during the Rutgers School of Law–Camden commencement ceremony on Monday, May 24:

Good afternoon fellow graduates, faculty, administration, family and friends.  It is truly an honor to be standing before you at this moment; a moment that I never could have imagined three years ago.  I grew up in South Jersey, in a town not far from where we meet today.  When I left for college, it was a place to which I never expected to return.  However life, as it so often does, had different plans and brought me back to this place.  At this moment I can say that I am grateful that it did.

When I started law school, I was not sure what to expect.  We have all heard stories of cutthroat competition, overbearing professors and endless hours of work.  We have all seen movies depicting our future profession as one of greed, corruption and selfishness.  And we have all heard the countless jokes made at lawyers’ expense.  From all of these pre-law school experiences, it was not hard to understand why my grandfather called it “liar school” rather than “law school.”  I fully expected to spend the next three years holed up in the library, with no life and no friends, and I thought that everyone’s experience would be the same.

Luckily, Rutgers–Camden is a different type of law school.  From Day One, the sense of community and collaboration was evident.  Students were working together to ensure that everyone understood the concepts that would be discussed in class.  Professors wanted to educate rather than embarrass.  And everyone was concerned with helping the outside community in one way or another.  Outside of academics, there were countless moments when various students, professors or administrators would unexpectedly provide the support needed to get through the day, or the week, or even the semester.  And lasting friendships have been forged through an experience that cannot fully be understood by those who have not undertaken it. 

While the encouragement and camaraderie was necessary and appreciated during the academic experience, it is imperative that we keep this spirit of community alive past the closing of today.  Given the current state of affairs in which we find ourselves, we will need more than ever to draw upon the support network that we have created during our time here.  This may seem difficult with everyone moving to different places and engaging in different pursuits, but I am confident that our unique experience has provided us with the foundation and ability to maintain these relationships.  And we must do so in order to succeed in the future. 

The Rutgers–Camden Law School experience is truly a unique one, and one that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to partake.  As my mom loves to say, “everything happens for a reason,” and I wholeheartedly agree with her at this moment, standing before you, in a place that I never thought I would be.  I hope that you all leave here today with the same sense of accomplishment and community that I now hold, and I strongly encourage you to foster the relationships you have made here, regardless of whether they are with students, faculty or administrators.  They will surely help you along the road to your happy ending.

Congratulations Rutgers–Camden Law School Class of 2010 and good luck with your future endeavors – I cannot wait to see where life takes you!

Shannon L. Troutman
3L Class President
Juris Doctor 2010
Rutgers School of Law –Camden