Student speaker to share message of perseverance and connection at Tulane graduation

Devin Goldman sparkles when she talks about her Tulane experience. She says her four years on campus and in New Orleans could not have been more fulfilling, even with significant personal challenges that she experienced her sophomore year.

So, when she learned that applications had opened for this year’s Unified Commencement student speaker, she couldn’t think of a better way to share her thoughts on perseverance and resolve.

“I’m a big fan of public speaking,” the native New Yorker said. “And I like to go for things. My excitement for this kept building up. I wanted a chance to talk to my fellow graduates and say good-bye to Tulane in the right way.”

“I realized that if I’m going to spend four years somewhere and grow, this is where I wanted to do it. I fell in love with Tulane, the city and the culture. And I never looked back.”

Tulane senior Devin Goldman

That chance was realized when the selection committee chose her among dozens of applicants to address Tulane graduates Saturday, May 17, at the Caesars Superdome.

“One of my messages has to do with connection,” said Goldman, who is graduating with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and health and wellness. “Every graduate has their own story, their own adversities that they overcame. And even though all our paths look different, there’s so much that connects us.”

Goldman’s path to Tulane began long before she set foot on campus as a student. She visited Tulane as a middle-schooler to attend the graduation of a cousin. When it was time for her to apply to college, that same cousin, as well as another relative who had graduated from Tulane, encouraged her to consider their alma mater.

Goldman applied to Tulane, even though her initial preference was a smaller school in a cold-weather city. But when she visited Tulane once more during her school search, she quickly realized it was where she wanted to spend the next four years. She especially was drawn to Tulane’s emphasis on community service.

“I realized that if I’m going to spend four years somewhere and grow, this is where I wanted to do it,” Goldman said. “I fell in love with Tulane, the city and the culture. And I never looked back.”

Goldman wasted no time getting involved in extracurricular activities. She volunteered for Outreach Tulane, the university’s largest student-run day of service. She also became a Peer Success Leader, helping students navigate the academic and social challenges of college.

In her sophomore year, Goldman had challenges of her own, including the death of a close friend. “I had been super involved, but with the loss of my friend and other difficult events, I had to take a step back and was not sure what my future at Tulane would look like. My mentors here encouraged me to take break.”

Towards the end of her sophomore year, she was eager to dive back into campus life. Having grown up in a sports family — she played tennis, and a brother played college basketball — she jumped at an opportunity to apply for a job with the Green Wave football team.

In her junior year, she served as an equipment manager, helping to facilitate practices and support the team behind the scenes. During the spring semester, she also worked as a sports medicine intern, collaborating with medical professions on everything from injury prevention to athlete rehab. Her commitment to the team led her to take on a position as a student assistant for football operations in her senior year.  In that role, she supported the director of football operations in managing travel logistics and coordinating communications among departments within the football program.

“I knew this was something I’d love to do,” Goldman said. “I fell in love with the program and working with the team. It was another community I got to become part of. I even traveled with the team this past season.”

Goldman plans to use her experience in operations following Commencement when she steps into a full-time role at a leading sports camp in Massachusetts.

She will miss Tulane but knows she will return as often as she can. “I just have such a love for this place,” she said. “One thing I realized is not only do I love this city and this school, but this city and school love me back.”