I feel a very close attachment to this year’s graduating class since, like them, I am embarking on a new and challenging period in life. They, to a fulfilling and no doubt prosperous work career; and me, to a hopefully long and healthy retirement. So as commencement day approaches, my first bit of advice to graduates is to thank your parents and relatives for their generosity and support in helping you to graduate from college. Studies have shown that 75 percent of college graduates in the U.S. achieve upward mobility over the course of their lives, compared to only 12 percent of those without a college degree. But this graduating class is facing a very tough economy, so the ideal job may not come along immediately. Do not be discouraged.
The training you have received here at Tech is the best offered by any college or university in the country. Keep in touch with the faculty and classmates you have met while at Tech; and take advantage of the networking possibilities available through the over 200,000 living alums in the Hokie Nation. They are a valuable resource in helping you to find housing and a job, as well as the occasional football ticket. And finally, it’s never too early to save for retirement! Best of luck.
Bill Snizek, alumni distinguished professor of sociology
Be kind. Be present. Love big and deeply, even when it is scary. Pay attention – both to what is in you and what is around you. Name what you are passionate about, and try to build at least some part of your life around it. Step outside of your comfort zone on a fairly regular basis. Seek to know other people’s worlds, and to see your world through their eyes. Stand in somebody else’s shoes — lead with compassion, not judgment. Insist on justice, equality, environmental responsibility, and truth.
Educate yourself and vote in every election. Never stop asking questions, and never believe you have all the answers. Allow yourself to be surprised, and to change your mind. Be sure to laugh — and if you notice you haven’t laughed in awhile, wonder why. And finally, as my mom and Grover from Sesame Street used to say, “Don’t forget to breathe ... in and
out.”
Susanna Rinehart, director of education for diversity and inclusion
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