More from Sandra Soto

A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste.

SS

Sandra Soto

University of Arizona Commencement 2010, 2010

The Story Behind This Quote

Dr. Sandra Soto, an assistant professor specializing in Chicano studies at the University of Arizona, delivered her commencement address at a particularly charged moment in Arizona history. SB 1070, the strictest anti-immigrant legislation in the country, had just been signed, followed by HB 2281 targeting Ethnic Studies programs. Soto told the graduates that now that they would no longer receive grades and regular feedback from professors, it was crucial they own their knowledge and deeply believe in themselves as thinkers. She invoked the United Negro College Fund's forty-year-old slogan as a reminder that the critical thinking skills they'd developed at the university were not to be abandoned simply because they'd left the classroom.

Collect Your Favorite Quotes

Save quotes that inspire you. Build your personal collection of wisdom in Minditly — available on both platforms.