The President's Remarks
Congratulations to all of our esteemed graduates today — and to the families, friends, and teachers who helped them reach this auspicious milestone.
To highlight the magnitude of your achievement, I would like to focus on two words: persistence and legacy.
Former President Calvin Coolidge once said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not … genius will not … education will not … persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
Given the last two years — two years you could not have imagined and for which you did not sign up — the concept of persistence needs no explanation. You were isolated, quarantined, attending classes remotely, returning to campus, leaving, and returning again.
And yet, here you are!
You have proven to the world — and, most importantly, to yourselves — that you are capable of Herculean persistence and, in the end, of succeeding, as you have today.
Now, as you depart, we have concluded a $155 million capital campaign, and we are about to open the amazing new Learning Commons. While you will not be here to enjoy its wonders as a student, I want you to remember that people only give $155 million to an enterprise that is vibrant. People only dream of new buildings where there is promise. And you, each one of you sitting here today, represents that vibrancy. You are that promise.
As Warren Buffet, the sage of Omaha, said, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone else planted a tree a long time ago.” The fruits of this campaign, this extraordinary building, the opportunities that now exist for so many, do so largely because of your persistence and promise. They are the trees you have planted, and they will offer shade to others for decades. They are your legacies, your gifts to the future. And what is an education for if not to create the opportunity to make gifts to the future?
For that, we all thank you. Congratulations!
Warmest Regards,
Dr. Robert K. McMahan, President, Kettering University