During the
ceremony, Judith Urbano, the
Assistant Director of Students in the ESARQ School of Architecture, attempted
to inspire the new graduates by talking about hope, dreams and happiness: She
said, “A smile and a kind word can often open more doors than all the details
of a design put together. Sacrifice is not a bad thing. It can be good if you
know how to make the most of it”.

Herreros then talked about it being “a fantastic time to
finish a degree” because of the changes taking place in society and in
professions. He said, “Today's architect has to be much more communicative and
flexible than we've had to be up to now. You will have to listen, but at the
same time, make yourself understood”. He said that he believed it to be a good
time to grow in other fields and told the students, “I urge you not to rule out
opportunities. We do not live by design alone”.

Herreros placed great importance on architecture as a
profession to serve people. He said, “Architecture is for the people, no one
else, not even for us or our colleagues. Architects’ greatest satisfaction is
knowing that their designs make the people living there happy and that those
people don't even know their names”.

The student
representatives then expressed their appreciation by saying, “Thanks for putting
pressure on us to bring out our best every day”, before ESARQ Director Vicenç Sarrablo encouraged the graduates to
use their talent not to go far so much as to “continue as you are now: to keep
good company and, in doing so, feel as happy as you do now”.