Tull Closing Remarks for July 16

You’ve heard many tributes today. Some that you haven’t heard like those from the McNair Scholars program, Howard University, former classmates of Jessica’s who wrote from China and Puerto Rico, and Dr. Nelson Cardona Martinez, the Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez whom I met while I was in Mayaguez earlier this year, are all posted on the PROMISE website, the URL is in your program. Feel free to leave a message. Jessica’s family is reading the website, her mother Lucy, father Israel, and brother Antonio have asked for your continued prayers.

There are many people to thank, especially those who directly made purchases or spent time and energy with the planning of this program: Dr. Lisa Morgan and all of the staff of the Graduate School, Adrienne Starks, Effie Shockley and all of the officers of the Graduate student Association … thank you also to GSA for graciously providing the refreshments that you are welcome to enjoy. The faculty, staff and students of the department of Chemical and biochemical engineering, Counseling services, all of the members of the UMBC Emergency response team, Greg Simmons, Kim Robinson and the Office of Institutional Advancement, and special thanks to Dr. Charlie Fey, Dr. Felicia McGinty, Dr. Patty Perillo, Ms. Sue Plitt, and the entire office of Student Affairs; and to Jessica’s lab mate Hong Shen and the CBE students for putting together the wonderful slide show.

At the conclusion of this ceremony, I invite those who desire to join me in a short walk down to the unofficial memorial tree. While this tree is unofficial, the Vice Presidents of the university met earlier this week and said that Jessica has inspired them to work on a memorializing precedent that will benefit all students. And so even though she is not physically here, we find that even the memory of Jessica lives on to serve UMBC.Leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell has a Law of Legacy, which says that lasting value is measured by succession. So the question is, what do we do now? We remember Jessica, now let’s learn from her. Whether you know her as an intimate friend, or just learned about her during the past few weeks, think of her LIFE, and live yours with exuberance … to the fullest. Pursue your dreams, reach your goals. Dr. Maxwell says, Do what you were created to do. And finally in the words of friends of Jessica’s family, Tita, Luis, and Josepha, who came from Virginia earlier this week to put flowers by the tree, I leave this very short blessing: que Dios los bendiga. Thank you for coming.