CEU alumna Magdalena Majkowska-Tomkin (IRES ’00) had choice words for graduates during CEU’s June 21 graduation ceremony in Budapest.
“You have to go out there and carve a space for yourself,” she told the audience. “As long as you know your foundation and your direction, you will succeed.”
Magdalena served as official Alumni Speaker for this year's graduation, CEU’s 24th, during which more than 600 students from more than 80 countries received their masters or doctoral degrees. See pics and video (Magdalena starts at 23:10).
Citing the experience as one of her life’s most beneficial, she lauded the benefits of her CEU education, the university’s mission and global network.
Originally from Poland, Magdalena lives in Hungary, where she serves as Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Hungary and Slovenia.
Her work with IOM in Ireland, Hungary, Central Europe and the Western Balkans has dealt with labor migration and migrant immigration issues.
Alumni community growing
Sunday’s graduates join the more than 12,000 CEU alumni living around the world. CEU President and Rector John Shattuck reminded graduates of their responsibility to think critically and enact positive change.
“Go forth and save the world!” he said.
The ceremony included remarks from Shattuck, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Leon Botstein and CEU’s Honorary Chairman and Founder George Soros.
In addition to degree conferring, the CEU Open Society Prize was presented to the International Resistance Foundation for its work in Ukraine.