Graduation Speech

This is the day so many of you seniors have waited for. To be free from the demands and restrictions of high school and move on to the world of adulthood. Some of you will go off to live away at a university, some will continue to live home and pursue the world of higher education and others will go out into the work force excited about future opportunities. Many of you are frightened by what you have seen out there. YouTube videos like “Shift Happens” and lectures on being prepared for the 21st century have made you wonder how you will survive in the years to come. What if you won’t be prepared for a job that doesn’t exist yet? What if your education becomes obsolete before you’re out of school for five years? What will you do? How will you earn a living? The reality is that some things don’t change.

Thinking critically and setting goals have always been important. Behaving ethically and making good judgments have always been recommendations to those going out into the world. Live a just life and remember that the decisions you make have lasting effects on the people around you and those who will come in contact with you. Just as planning and problem solving were important in my time, so they continue to be important in yours. No generation has a monopoly on these important virtues. There are those who will try to tell you that thinking creatively is a new 21st century skill, but there have been many successful people who have gone before you who have been creative. Just look at all of the innovations of the 20th century.

Choose a job or area of study that you love, that you are passionate about, and put your heart into it. Know that hard work, risk taking, planning and lifelong learning are the keys to success. And remember that success is not always measured in money but in the difference that you make to the world.

So congratulations on all your accomplishments. Go out into the new century and make a difference. And most of all, don’t be afraid of what’s to come. It’s a beautiful world.