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May 20, 2021

Public Relations & Communications Strategist Jill Wilson

On Saturday, May 22, Cole Tessendorf will address the Class of 2021, more than 400 of his fellow students, at ������ý’s undergraduate commencement ceremony to be held at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

“It’s a really, really cool honor,” said the biology major, who will also leave AU with a minor in journalism.

Tessendorf said he didn’t know his college journey would ever lead to this — to finding a family with Recreational Services as a team leader, studying away in Spain, Morocco and Ecuador, conducting labor and delivery research with one of his professors, volunteering in a hospital emergency department, being elected Augustana Student Association (ASA) president and now, representing his entire class at commencement. The Columbus, Nebraska, native said he felt like he “was just different” in high school, but those feelings changed after his “Grandma Jack,” Jackie (Olson) Alfson, of Madison, South Dakota, encouraged him to look at AU.

“I just had different aspirations,” Tessendorf said. “When I came here (to Augustana), I didn’t know anybody. I remember, my first week after Welcome Week, I called my mom and was like, ‘Oh my gosh, mom. These people are just like me. They’re here!’”

Used to giving speeches in high school, Tessendorf says he isn’t nervous to speak to those “people,” but anxious.

“It makes me anxious because you want to be good and you want to make sure you represent everybody,” added Tessendorf. “But, it feels good.”

Tessendorf envisioned his speech, “It Wasn’t Easy,” while laying in bed one night, asking God why life is so hard. While you may not come away with “the why” at the end of his speech, Tessendorf hopes to convey that the “hard” is a good thing.

“That’s what you always say about Augie … the people who come here, they know it’s a hard school. They could go somewhere else, but come here anyway. You know what you’re getting into and you know people come out successful from Augie because it was hard; your professors push you and the pandemic made it that much harder. But, we adapted here and we found more opportunities than boundaries. So, the whole speech is based off of that theme, that it wasn’t easy, but we’re transformed. We’re better going into the workforce because it was hard.”

Tessendorf said while he doesn’t want his classmates to look back this past year and remember just the pandemic, he admits that taking the mask off the Ole statue last week felt good — perfect timing as the Class of 2021 begins a new chapter in life. And, while it was hard, they are better because of it.

“Our class had to take a step up. We really didn’t have a choice, but a lot of us did it with willingness. Leaders really had to be born,” said Tessendorf. “Looking back a year ago, almost a year-and-a-half ago, when I last saw some of these people — they’re completely different in a better way, more professional. We’re more confident and we’re more ready to graduate and do what’s next.”

What’s next for Tessendorf is the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine where he’s confident that the “hard” and what comes out of it will lead him right where he’s supposed to be.

For more information on how to watch the Class of 2021 Commencement Ceremony and Tessendorf’s speech live, visit .