School of Pharmacy

Paying tribute: Hooding and Diploma Ceremony ’13

To see snapshots from the School of Pharmacy’s 2013 Hooding and Diploma Ceremony, click here.

As VCU School of Pharmacy’s May 10 Hooding and Diploma Ceremony drew to a close, hundreds of students and their families and friends – along with faculty, staff and alumni — gave Dean Victor Yanchick a standing ovation. Noting his 45 years in academic pharmacy, the last 17 of which he has spent at VCU, the dean said, “You are the last class I will have the honor of graduating.”

Yanchick’s previously announced retirement, effective Jan. 1, 2014, became a sort of graduation theme for the class of ’13. As part of its gift to the school, the class asked him to paint a watercolor that will hang in a first-floor conference room in the Robert J. Blackwell Smith Jr. Building. The class will make a donation to pharmacy student scholarships and, in addition, it gave the school a Virginia flag and a United States flag for use in the Smith Building lobby.

The class of ’13 also requested that Yanchick administer the Pharmacist’s Oath at ceremony’s end.

In his speech to the more than 150 Pharm.D., M.S. and Ph.D. graduates at St. Paul’s Baptist Church, Virginia’s 98th District Del. Keith Hodges (B.S. ’89) thanked Yanchick for his visionary leadership and years of service. “Of course, we know you will never really retire,” he added with a smile.

Hodges discussed the importance of initiative, passion and the willingness to take risks in life for graduates just beginning their careers or planning to further their educations. “Relish this time in your life,” he said. “Take advantage of every day. Don’t settle.”

Yanchick told students that earning their degree might be the greatest sense of accomplishment they will feel … until they see their children or grandchildren do the same thing. At a time when the field of pharmacy is quickly evolving and offers a multitude of opportunities, he said, this generation has the power to change the profession.

But, he cautioned, remember the importance of time spent with family, friends and loved ones.

The annual VCU Commencement took place May 11 at Richmond Coliseum. Following is a copy of Yanchick’s final Hooding and Diploma Ceremony address as dean of the school:

Dean Victor Yanchick: 2013 Hooding and Diploma Ceremony

It is with a great deal of pleasure that I extend to each of you my sincere congratulations on this most important occasion. I join with the entire faculty and staff of the School of Pharmacy and with the wider university community in celebrating your graduation.

To our graduate students: We wish you every success in your career as researchers, scientists and educators. We congratulate you on successfully completing the rigors of a very intense program of graduate study.

And to our doctor of pharmacy class of 2013 graduates: This is the day you had in your sights for a long time, and now it is finally here! Today you sit here, ready and proud that you got the job done. Your sense of pride and accomplishment is as high as it may ever get – with one exception. And that’s the commencement that involves your own child or grandchild. When you sit and watch your child or grandchild graduate, you will know what pride and happiness is really all about. Parents and grandparents, am I right?

Your parents and all of your loved ones know – they worked and prayed – they worried – and they made many sacrifices for you so that you may enjoy this moment.

Today you celebrate the achievement of a significant milestone in the career odyssey you began when you first decided to pursue pharmacy as your chosen profession. I remember telling you at your White Coat Ceremony that these four years will go by quickly, and I am sure today you wonder where all the time has gone. With your pharmacy degree, you have made a wise choice to secure a sound future in a rapidly changing health care environment.

And I know that many of you are saying to yourselves right now that the hardest part is over, and the easy part is about to begin. But I am here to say if that’s the way you feel, you are in for a big surprise. The truth is now you’ve finished the easy part; the hard part is about to begin. And I say this for reasons that you may not fully understand today and for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with your professional career.

I am sure that most of you are thinking to yourselves that your real happiness is about to begin. But you will soon get caught up in the real world where there will be many obstacles in your way, and where things may not always go the way you wanted them to go, and you are not as happy as you thought you would be – and you can’t understand why – and you may blame it on the wrong reason.

So permit me to use the following story – a story that some of you may have heard before – but it is worth repeating and puts our lives in perspective. It’s a story that will give you guidance to allow you achieve long-term happiness. The story goes like this:

A professor stood before his class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he picked up a very large and empty glass jar and proceeded to fill it full of golf balls. He then asked the class if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar slightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They again agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous yes.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces between the sand. The students shook their heads and smiled.

“Now,” the professor said, “I want you to recognize that this glass jar represents YOUR LIFE. The golf balls are the really important things in your life – they are your family, your children, your health, your friends, your faith and, yes, even your hobbies – and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

“The pebbles are the other things that do matter, like your house, your car, your bank account, your IRA and all of your worldly possessions. But the sand is everything else – the small, insignificant stuff in your life.”

He continued. “Now what would I have if I had poured the sand into the jar first? Obviously there would be no room for the pebbles, much less the golf balls. The same goes for your life. If you spend all of your time and energy in filling your life with the small insignificant stuff, you will never have room for the things that are really important to you – the things that are critical for long-term happiness in your life.”

So pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play regularly with your children, spend quality time with your spouse or your soul mate, your best friends and your parents and family. Visit your parents and grandparents regularly because they really want to see you, and you will really miss them when they are gone.

Always keep close to you your dear ones – tell them how much they mean to you, and take care of them. Hug your dad, kiss your mom and tell your brothers and sisters how much they mean to you.

Take time to say I am sorry, forgive me, please, thank you¬ – and all the nice words you know. Take a friend out to dinner. Take time to get regular medical check-ups. Listen to your body. Exercise regularly. Take up a new sport – like racquetball! Eat sensibly, don’t smoke or take any prescription drug that is not prescribed for you. Find a hobby. Learn a new language. Take painting lessons!

If you haven’t already done so, find someone in your life who loves you unconditionally and who you love unconditionally in return. And remember, it is a partnership. I know for a fact that I would not be standing here today as your dean if I did not have the loving support, through the years, from my wife.

Take care of your golf balls first – the things that really matter. Set your priorities because the rest is just sand. Value things not for what they are worth but for what they represent to you.

You see, there will always be time to watch “Dancing With the Stars” or to wash your car.

One of the students raised her hand and asked the professor what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked,” he said. “It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there is always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a good friend.”

This is what I call establishing a work-life balance. Within this work-life balance, you must also learn to have a sense of humor, to laugh at yourself and to have fun.

These are such important skills. So never lose them.

And remember, time waits for no one. So don’t wait until you have paid off your student loans, finished a residency, received a promotion, lost 10 pounds, get married, have kids, get divorced, until your home or new car is paid off. Until next year, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until after you retire or until you are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. You must decide that there is no better time to be happy and enjoy life than RIGHT NOW. And remember. Happiness is a JOURNEY … NOT a destination.

You see, it took me a while to learn this. But I finally learned that if you try to pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on the golf balls in your life – your family, your friends, your health and your faith – happiness will find YOU.

Think about the people who gave so you could be here. The people in your life – your parents and loved ones – who provided you with time, the love, the support and, yes, the money.

Never forget the faculty and staff who supported you in the School of Pharmacy – and your fellow students and friends. The spirit of caring for each of you fills this building. Please know that we all care very deeply for you, and we are very proud of you.

In closing, graduation is a time to reflect. As a parent who has been on both sides of a few graduations, I can tell you, regardless of what you ultimately achieve, the most important times are the ones like today, the ones that you will share with your family and friends and loved ones.

Graduation is not an ending – it is your commencement – it is your beginning. You came to the School of Pharmacy four years ago and have undergone a wonderful transformation from very naive student pharmacists into competent health care providers who have the power to change the profession. Yes, I said change the profession!!

Don’t listen to those who tell you that you cannot change the profession.

Always keep this in mind. There are only two types of people who will tell you that you cannot change the profession: those who are unwilling to change and, more importantly, those who are afraid you will succeed!

Your future will be nothing like you imagine. What will seem natural in hindsight may seem unlikely or even impossible to you now. So think off the map and go into unknown and unchartered territories in your practice. That is what leaders do, and it is how you can change the profession.

I wish all of you the very best as you begin to build your future for yourselves, for your family and for the profession of pharmacy. I hope you will carry with you a feeling of pride and accomplishment as you leave us. We are honored that you chose to build your professional foundation with us, and we hope that you will allow us to continue to play a significant role in your professional growth. We all take pride in you, and we are indeed very fortunate that we had the good privilege to have touched your life in a very special way.

As you leave this school, I know that only a few of you will be called upon in life to answer great and epic calls to duty. But all of you will be called upon in life …
To live it decently
To live it selflessly
To care for others
To take up for good causes, whether great or small
To take up against bad causes, whether great or small
To treat others as you would be treated and
To take advantage of our blessings – our families, friends and colleagues – to do the most good you can – for the most people – and for the rest of your lives.

I bid you farewell and wish you all the best in the years ahead. You are the last class that I have the honor of graduating, so I will always remember you in a special way. And thank you for making my life more fulfilling and rewarding.

I will be retiring on January 1 after 17 years of having the privilege of serving as your dean and after 45 years of being lucky enough to have chosen academic pharmacy as my career – I believe it is 235 days from now – but who’s counting? You have given me so much, and so much I have learned from all of you. Now, as I end my words with you, permit me to leave my final challenge to you, which I give to each graduating class:

Work like you don’t need the money
Love like you’ve never been hurt and
Dance like no one is watching you.

Thank you, good luck and welcome to the profession of pharmacy.

[At this point, the class of 2013 and friends, family and faculty gave the dean a standing ovation.]

I know none of you were able to reach this goal by yourself. Many people have contributed to your success and share in your accomplishments, and many of them are here with you this afternoon. Be sure to thank them personally. I would like to take this opportunity to recognize those here today who helped make this day a reality:

Parents – please stand.
Grandparents? Great-grandparents?
Spouses?
Children?
In-laws?
Brothers and sisters?
Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews?
Friends and neighbors?

Thanks to our convocation speaker, Delegate Keith Hodges, the Graduation Committee and to Associate Dean Reinders and his staff, and to my administrative assistant, Suzanne Fairman, and to Scott Crenshaw, who have made this convocation a success.

I will see all of you this evening at our Senior Awards Banquet and then tomorrow morning at the VCU Commencement, where I will call upon your class to stand as the president of the university confers on you the degree of doctor of pharmacy.

[The audience stood again as the class of 2013 and School of Pharmacy faculty recessed to the tune of “Pomp and Circumstance.”]

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