Packnett encourages BCHP graduates to practice service, humility, improvement

Mike Packnett, retired president and CEO of Parkview Health, encouraged fall 2023 graduates from Trine University’s Dr. Earl D. and Melanie N. Brooks College of Health Professions to focus on others, practice humility and strive for improvement during a special hooding and pinning ceremony on Friday, Dec. 8.

Held in the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts on the Angola campus, the event recognized physical therapy, physician assistant and surgical technology students who completed their degrees at the end of the fall semester.

John Shannon, Ph.D., Trine University president, welcomed those in attendance by encouraging them to “take pride in your accomplishments, but mostly savor the past several years and great relationships you made and the world-class education you received.”

“For some of you it's been a bumpy path to travel, but you persevered and now stand at a major new beginning,” he said. “There is freshness to new beginnings and there is excitement in the air, which is invigorating. I hope you hold on to the spirit of this day. I hope you enjoy your new beginning and I hope you will remember this day and this university as you travel your new path into the future.”

Becoming their best selves

In opening his address to the graduates, Packnett acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath created a difficult environment for learning. He commended the graduates for persevering and encouraged them to become the best people they could.

“The best version of you is not just being a PT, or a surg tech or a PA but it's how you do your work: what you do every day, not just out at work but also especially at home and out in the world,” he said.

He offered three pieces of advice to the graduates, drawing from his 45-year career in healthcare administration. First, he said, focus on others.

“If you have that mindset of service, and servanthood, it's just so important for the fields that you've chosen,” he said. “It can change the tone of your workplace. It can change the tone of the company or the hospital or the outpatient clinic you might be part of, and it will change your heart as well.”

Next, he told the graduates to practice humility. The best way to learn what humility is, he said, is to look for the trait in others and model it.

Finally, he said, keep getting better.

“Make sure you're surrounding yourself with the right people,” he said. “Get a mentor or multiple people who can speak into your lives.”

Another key part of bettering oneself is reading, he said.

“I've known a lot of very successful people, and I know that most of them are very voracious readers who read things outside of their expertise,” he said.

“You're going to have a great impact on thousands of people in your career,” he concluded. “I just want to congratulate you on making this step. … And I want to thank God for blessing your time here and in the future as you go out into the workplace.”

New alumni

Following the presentation of pins and hoods, Timothy Raftery, president of the Trine University Alumni Association, welcomed the graduates as Trine alumni.

In response, Avery Lee, a Master of Physician Assistant Studies major who was named the Outstanding Graduate of 2023, told her fellow graduates the ceremony marked the beginning of their careers as healthcare professionals.

“Every single one of us is sitting here today because we felt the calling to become a healthcare provider,” she said, “It is an incredible responsibility and one we should not take lightly.”

“I honestly can't think of a better group to have gone through this journey with. You have proven time and time again that not only are you resilient and adaptable to change, you are also empathetic and considerate to those around you. … I hope we can carry on the important life lessons we have learned to become the most compassionate, knowledgeable and competent health care workers we can be.”

In closing, Dr. Shannon charged the graduates to choose wisely as they determine the person they will become.

“Continue to listen to the counsel of those whose lives illustrate success in harmony with humanity and the world around them,” he said. “Conversely, do not be afraid to stand alone. Believe in what you have cultivated in yourself, your ideals standards and innate feeling of right and wrong good and bad. Take responsibility and build upon your successes.”