Patrizia Manno, best student of the 2019/2020 summer graduation session

"Rector, professors, fellow students and families at home. It is a great honor to be here on this stage today, in one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, to greet my fellow graduates of this session.

First of all I’d like to congratulate each one of you for reaching this important milestone; we have to thank our efforts and determination for leading us here.

In the past three years - which went by so quickly - we experienced and felt a lot. We shared moments of joy, happiness, satisfaction but also discouragement, self-doubt,
But today we’re here, and would love for this to be not only a finishing line, but a starting point, where we can begin our journey towards new goals, challenges, skills.  

University isn’t just about studying, but  also about growing: in these years we evolved, we became more responsible and self-aware, we got to know ourselves better, our strengths, weaknesses and limits.
We spent these past years learning ideas and notions, but also opening our minds and honing our critical skills.
University taught us to ask ourselves questions, never take things for granted, get to the bottom of things, it taught us to doubt, as doubting is the starting point of knowledge itself.  
We will likely embark on different journeys, but I want to speak to those who are still uncertain about the path to follow: I want you to know that indecisiveness is privilege, many people don’t even have the chance to choose for their life.
Don’t be afraid to choose, but be glad you get to decide how your future’s going to be.
Unfortunately, we live in a society obsessed with speed and the perceived lack of time, where we get asked to deliver immediate and approximative results.
Luckily, the University is a place where this doesn’t happen yet, it’s one of the best investments we can make for ourselves, where you can learn that actual growth takes time and dedication.
At Ca’ Foscari I’ve also had the chance to meet amazing people, with whom I share a deep bond. I want to thank all of them from the bottom of my heart.

I would also like to thank my parents Maria and Massimo, who have always supported me in every step and decision along the way, I wouldn’t be here without them today. I’m extremely thankful for everything you did for me and I hope to make you proud.  

I want to thank Ca’ Foscari for allowing us to be here despite the many difficulties caused by the pandemic and for giving us the chance l to attend classes and take exams online. I also want to thank this institution for the incredible educational offer, the international opportunities, the library service, the career days, the innovative teaching laboratories and the many events with illustrious guests.
A final thank you goes to all the professors, the lifeblood of our educational system and the force that pushes us students forward.

We’re here because we want to learn, we have the curiosity to find out what we still don’t know. In the past three years we’ve learned a lot and we’ve acquired essential skills, but more than everything we understood how there’s still so much to discover and to learn.
We often forget that our books, our pens and our thoughts are the most powerful weapons at our disposal and we must use them to make the world a better place, while fighting the real enemy of society: ignorance.

Thank you all and congratulations!"