Graduation Speech 2012

I have jumped through all the right hoops, impressed the right people, and now, on the morning of my graduation, I will be delivering the student graduation speech for the Business School at the University of Iowa. The honor is extreme, and the pressure is mounting. The true challenge however will not come from delivering the speech, it will be from living up to these words that I have so boldly put to paper. I hope you enjoy:

Long before this opportunity came to be, I had always wondered what words I would say in front of this audience. And now, as I stand here in front of you, the only words that seem fitting are those of congratulations.

Congratulations to the parents and families, you have earned this day as much as anyone. Congratulations to the faculty, through your encouragement in the classroom, you have fostered astute business minds. And of course, the graduates, my peers, congratulations. Today is our day. Today we receive our well-earned degrees from the University of Iowa and continue a Tippie College of Business legacy of 150 years of changing the world.

——-

            The degrees we are receiving represent much more than G.P.A.’s, credit hours, or fields of study. They represent our capabilities of thinking about the world, and they come with responsibilities: responsibilities to recognize our impact, to question the status quo, and to make the world a better place.

——-

            I wish I could stand up here and explain how to make a positive impact. I wish anybody could stand up here and explain how that’s done. But it’s not up to me, and it’s not up to anyone else, it’s up to you. We are leaving the multiple-choice tests behind; answers will no longer be provided in the back of the book. And although our formal education is over, we must challenge ourselves to continue learning.

——————————–

I want to make the world a better place through keeping our natural world natural. I have seen the mountains overshadowing the landscape, and the rivers breathing life throughout the land. And I know how to contemplate or understand that beauty just as much as I know how to protect it… I don’t. That’s the truth.

What I do know, is that when I spend my time outdoors, away from the ped-mall and Cambuses, away from the social pressures of confined spaces, I feel the excitement of my future slowly fill my body. As my eyes rest upon extraordinary landscapes, I see the wide-open fields of opportunity before me. And although I do not know what role I’ll play in building a better tomorrow, I know that I have received the tools I need. The tools that come inherently with our Tippie degrees: critical thinking and the ability to ask why, communication to break through the walls of indifference, and most importantly, the ability to learn and apply myself.

———————————

And why such unwarranted arrogance? Is it not true that my confidence in changing the world is connected to naivety and a relatively young age? Yes, that has something to do with it. But not all my confidence is based on a lack of experience; on the contrary, my experiences at Tippie have shaped the speed and directions of my travels.

Through my internship at the Department of Natural Resources, and my studies in accounting and sustainability, I have received an education. Through my work and play with the Touch the Earth Program, I have furthered a passion. Along the way, I have gained valuable insight — insight that allows me to understand an essential aspect of our degrees: Business Can Change the World.

——-

Business builds the walls of our hospitals, it connects the highways of information, and it is the engine behind all social change. We, as business graduates, can now be referred to as The Cement Pavers of the 21^st Century. We will be called upon to provide answers to questions not yet asked: questions relating to where and how we will harvest our food, generate our electricity, and secure our livelihood.

I hope everybody leaves here with a sense of responsibility. For everyone to ask themselves; how am I going to affect this world? Are we going to build the corporate ladder with the trusted rungs of integrity? Are we going to use our knowledge and abilities to assist those who need help the most? Are we going to speak for those resources otherwise unspoken for? The answers to these questions will bear the distinction of our Hawkeye pride. And now we confront these challenges as we walk from one platform to another, from student to alumni, and from today’s world to tomorrow’s future.

——————————–

Do not hesitate, the path forward may not be easy, but true character is never defined in moments of comfort. Our achievements will be measured by our progress, our integrity by our merit, and our impact by our longevity. As we walk into the unmarked territory, let the words of the 20^th century poet Douglas Malloch reside in you; “Good timber does not grow with ease, the stronger the wind the stronger the trees.” And as you sway from the branches of everyday life, my best advice is to give voice to your ambitions, receive meaning from your work,   give life to your dreams.

Thank you,

Brad Lane