Commencement Addresses

On July 14, 2007 United States Senator from Wyoming, Michael B. Enzi delivered the WGU Commencement Address. Enzi was also awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa by WGU President Dr. Robert Mendenhall. This commencement took place at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. This video contains both the awarding of the honorary degree and the commencement address.

Transcription of video:

Dr. Robert W. Mendenhall: On behalf of the Western Governors University Member Governors and Board of Trustees, we welcome you to this commencement ceremony. We extend a warm welcome particularly to our graduates who have traveled from many states to be with us for this ceremony. And a welcome also to many more graduates who are joining us via live internet streaming for this commencement exercise.

I'm President Bob Mendenhall of the university. We extend a warm welcome to Senator Michael B. Enzi and his wife Diana who have joined us for this and we'll hear from Senator Enzi shortly. We welcome friends and family of our graduates and recognize on the stand the faculty of the university that have been so instrumental in the success of all of these graduates. We appreciate their great efforts.

We also want to recognize seated on the stand a number of corporate supporters and scholarship donors to the university who have provided scholarships for some of our graduates.

And joining us is Curtis Bennett, the Vice President of Retail Operations for O.C. Tanner; Joanie Clark from Morgan Stanley Bank; Cathy Schaeffer, the Community Relations Diversity Coordinator for Zion's Bank; Tony Mejia, Partner in Kirton and McConkie, and Elliott Anderson, the managing partner of Sixth Water, LLC. We're grateful for the corporate support that we receive as a university all of which goes for scholarships to students.

In particular, I wish to congratulate these graduates on their accomplishment. As you know better than anyone, this is not an easy degree precisely because you're required to demonstrate your competencies. There are great advantages to working at a distance, not the least of which is doing homework in jammies. [Laughter] But there are significant challenges too, being self-motivated and disciplined, balancing work and family responsibilities while also attending to studies.

I want to recognize each of you for the distance you have come to this graduation. Not only, the physical distance to be here today, but more importantly, the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual distance each of you have traveled over the past years to gain this degree. We're confident that your WGU education will serve you well and that you in turn will be exemplary graduates of this institution and reflect well on this university through a lifetime of professional accomplishment.

We are acutely aware that the reputation of this university depends mostly on the accomplishments of our graduates. And so we look forward to following your accomplishments. Each of you know that as you've been part of a community of learners during your attendance at WGU, we also have a community of alumni that we would invite you to not only join, but participate in. We see that as evolving into an online professional community sharing best practices across the country among WGU graduates. And we provide a year of free mentoring to all graduates after graduation as you transition into using your degree in the workplace.

At this graduation we have 420 graduates from 45 different states and 2 countries. Attending in person are 88 of these graduates from 29 different states. And we appreciate the efforts you have made with your families to come and be with us. And appreciate also the 300 and some graduates and their families who join us via internet streaming to participate in these ceremonies.

I mentioned earlier and we are especially pleased to have with us today as our commencement speaker, the Honorable Michael B. Enzi, Senator from Wyoming and Former Chairman and a ranking minority member of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee. An accountant by profession, Senator Enzi has served with distinction for over ten years in the United States Senate.

Over the past few years, Senator Enzi led the Senate in its efforts to help ensure that everyone regardless of age, can receive a quality education. Senator, today the average age of these graduates is 38 and they range in age from 23 to 63. He has also worked to provide Americans access to affordable quality healthcare while protecting workers and providing them training to get the best jobs.

Senator Enzi helped author the Workforce Reinvestment Act which creates a streamline job training and employment system vital to employers and workers. He formed the Rural Education Caucus and strives to ensure the unique challenges small population schools face are not overlooked in federal education legislation. Most importantly, for all of us gathered today and especially for you graduates, Senator Enzi has been a key force in the Congress in promoting educational opportunity and innovation. He was and is an early advocate of distance education and was instrumental in the creation of the Distance Learning Demonstration Program in 1999, including the inclusion of a brand new Western Governors University as part of that demonstration project.

We especially want to recognize Senator Enzi today for his pivotal role in the development and success of this university including making it possible for our students to access federal financial aid, providing the flexibility in federal regulations to make true innovation possible, and providing key funding for the development and delivery of K12 teacher education programs. Last year, Senator Enzi was largely responsible for the U.S. Congress writing competency-based education into law, providing specifically for programs that, "Utilize direct assessment of learning in lieu of credit hours or clock hours." I consider it a great honor at this time on behalf of our 19 member governors and the WGU Board of Trustees to award Senator Michael B. Enzi an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Western Governors University. [Applause]

Senator Michael Enzi: Thank you very much. Mr. President, fellow graduates, graduates online, faculty, friends, guests, fellow celebrators, what a day. Congratulations. You have achieved what few have done and you've done it differently.

You're the leaders in the next wave of education. Some of you will be teaching, some of you will be continuing your education the same way. Some of you will be helping others to understand how they have this opportunity to achieve the same way you had no matter where they are in the world. And we do have a lot of people around the world that could get on and feel like they're right here. That includes a lot of members of the Armed Services. It makes a huge difference to those that are overseas.

I've got some good news for you and I've got some bad news for you. The good news, of course, is that you just graduated or will in a few moments. The bad news is tomorrow you're freshman again. And I wish you many times of being freshman. That's, that grand beginning, that grand opportunity, the grand excitement of something new and it should happen regularly in your life. They call this a commencement. Commencement means beginning, not ending. So you really need to have some great beginnings out there, time and time and time again. It'll be notice to yourself that you're progressing.

So I'm going to talk to you a little bit about three important parts of life. One of them is where you're going, one is how to get there, and the final one is what to do on the way. Now, I'm going to suggest a book to you. I know you've been reading books. [Laughter] And you're thinking oh no, not another one, but my wife and I ran across a book called, The Aladdin Factor, a number of years ago. It's by the same people that wrote all those, Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but it's different than those. It's about how to ask for things.

As you know, if you don't ask the answer is always no but they have this little part in there that our family has adopted and actually enlarged on, and you can do that same thing. It's about innovation. That's what you learned in college. It's called, The List of 100 Things to Do. And right now, you're saying I got a lot of things I want to do. I'm willing to bet you that if you sat down right now and started making that list, you have 25. The requirement for this list is 100. Now, if you -- if you get in a quiet place and you start writing these down, you'll get to your 25. That takes 5, 20 minutes -- somewhere around there. The next 25 will take you quite a bit longer. The third 25 will take you a considerable amount of time, but nothing like the fourth 25.

The fourth 25 will be things that you've said, "Yeah, I'd like to do that," but there is no way in the world that I'm ever going to get to do that. You know, this is places to go, people to visit, career goals, family goals, anything you can think of. One hundred of them. The reason for 100 is to stretch your imagination because what you can imagine and believe me, and you can achieve. Now, and the last five things it'll probably take you a month to get them and those will be things that you know you will never get to do, but if you do this list, it will heighten your reception of opportunities.

And of those last five things, the first month after you do the list, you will complete one of those. It works. Now, when you complete one, you need to move it to a done list and the purpose of a done list is when you're having a bad day, you go back and you read the done list. And you say, "Life's been pretty good to me," but an important part of this list of 100 is you have to replace that item.

It always has to be 100. You always have to keep stretching your imagination on what the possibilities are for you out there. Oh, and another little part of this rule, one of my goals is to fish in all 50 states. I want you to know I was making more progress on that before I became Senator [Laughter]. But you also notice that I said that was one of the things. You can't cheat by listing something that's a group thing as each of the parts of it. That cannot be 50 things.

Now, there's a -- another part to this that I'm still testing and it's the reason you got to keep it at a 100, you're not allowed to die until you wipe out the list. [Laughter] Oh, I used to think that was funnier, but I have now watched some older people who at some point in their life just start erasing the list of things to do and they do die. So keep it at 100 and keep replacing them and keep living life. So let me talk to you about to how to get there. This is something I've discovered over a number of years, and I noticed this age the 23 to 63, I'm the 63. But I've developed an 80/20 rule and this works in your personal life or it works when you're negotiating, or it works in your business. And I'll relate it to working in Congress, because we handle a lot of different issues and surprisingly we agree on 80 percent of all of the issues. Now, of the 80 percent we agree on, we agree on 80 percent of each of them.

Now, if you watch television and you watch us debate, what you're getting to watch is the 20 percent that we don't agree on, won't agree on, can't agree on, and it looks pretty messy. We've already milked the system, gathered the cream, and what you're seeing on television is us mucking out the stables, but if we concentrate on that 80 percent, we get a lot done. The average committee in Congress finishes three bills every two years.

Senator Kennedy is now the Chairman of the Committee. He used to be the ranking member. We switched roles this last year. During the two years that I was Chairman, we got 27 bills signed into law by Congress, signed into law by the President. And people have said, "How do you get that done?" Well, it's the two of us agreed on the 80 percent rule. He's considered the most liberal in Congress and I'm considered the most conservative. So some people join us when the two of us can agree thinking that it must be okay. [Laughter] But we have found that when there is disagreement, if we can keep it from being polarized, there's usually a third way of doing something.

Now, I use the Congressional example, but this works in your personal lives too. If you concentrate on the 80 percent that you can get along with others on, you can get those things done. If you concentrate on the 20 percent, you're going to have to look at your done list a whole lot of times. So and what you do on the way or one of the things you need to do today and you are doing is to celebrate. You have got to learn to celebrate. As we get older, we kind of fall down on this. Celebrations become a little more stayed. They should not be. Now, usually I'm talking to a much younger group than this and I have to warn them about celebrating. [Laughter] In your case what I need to do is to ask you to stay kids. Kids know how to celebrate and there are a lot of events out there that need to be celebrated. Not just the ones at work.

Now, work ones are important and Lou Holtz is one of my hero's and he talks about winning and he taught football players how to win, but he would explain that win means what's important now. When you're on the football field, that's the most important thing. When you're at home, that better be the most important thing. What's important now? My dad would say that, "I don't care son, if you're a ditch digger, but if you are a ditch digger, I want any darn fool in the world to look at your ditch and say, 'That's a Mike Enzi ditch.'" So be willing to put your signature on things and then celebrate that you did it that well. Don't try for perfection, just try for the 80 percent, that'll get you a long way.

But I also want to encourage you to give back. A lot of times in Congress, we talk about people that are rich and what ought to happen. I don't care how rich anybody is. I don't care how much money people have. I do care a little bit what they do with their money. That's the important part. I remember coming out of a building with my son who had just turned 21, and there was a beautiful car parked out there and he knew all about it. I didn't know much about it, but I asked him how much that car was worth and he said, "Half a million dollars."

And I said, "Well, I hope someday you have and now a job that will let you earn enough that you could buy one of those cars and then that you have the good enough sense not to buy one." [Laughter] Because there are a lot of other things that could be done with the talents that you've gotten and the capabilities that you've gotten through the degree that you're getting today and through the degree that you'll get in the future because life's about lifetime learning. That's what that list of 100 is about. Learning in different ways at different times.

So where you go is up to you. How you get there is up to you and what you do on the way is up to you, but you have shown the determination, the desire, the excitement and had the encouragement to reach this goal. I salute you. You have laid the groundwork for a great life and you are to be congratulated. Congratulations.

[Applause]

U.S. Representative Jim Matheson (D-Utah) will delivered the commencement speech at the summer graduation ceremony for Western Governors University (WGU) on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 in Salt Lake City. Degrees will be awarded to 642 graduates from 48 states. WGU is awarding 401 undergraduate degrees and 241 graduate degrees.

A four-term Congressman representing Utah's second Congressional district, Matheson currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has the broadest jurisdiction of any Congressional committee. He has also been a strong supporter of education. Before his election to Congress, Representative Matheson worked in the energy industry for 13 years for several local companies and in his own firm.

Transcription of video:

Jim Matheson: Well, thank you. Thank you for that introduction. It is really a pleasure to be with you today. I look out at this audience and I see the culmination of hard work and determination, from not only the graduates, but also from the teachers, counselors, administrators, and of course, the families.

By enrolling in the education programs offered to you my Western Governors University you've made a life-altering and life-enriching decision, that education matters. Your presence here today signifies that you have taken to heart what many others before you have embraced, recognizing an opportunity to better your lives and the lives of those you love by pursuing education. The poet William Butler Yeats said, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." That flame is a beacon of hope guiding you toward fulfillment of your hopes and dreams.

Now, since you, at Western Governors University in particular, have embraced technology to reach the goal we celebrate today, there's no more appropriate audience for me to share some following remarkable and instructive facts about what is going on and the rate of change in our world today. These are facts that were compiled by an education professor at the University of Minnesota named Scott McCloud and publicized by a Colorado technology teacher and blogger named Carl Fish.

Both are strong believers in public schools, but they believe we need a new paradigm in this country on how education uses technology to empower individuals in ways that were unimaginable just ten years ago. Professor McCloud has a website where he posted his original ideas in a PowerPoint presentation entitled, Did You Know? Of course now it's been updated and posted as a YouTube video. [Laughter]

Here's a sampling from it. Did you know in the next eight seconds 34 babies will be born? Five in India, four in China, and one in the United States. What will the world be like for them when they graduate from college? In 2006 there were 1.3 million college graduates in the United States, there were 3.1 million college graduates in India, and 3.3 million in China. What percentage of college graduates in India speak English? 100 percent. Did you know in ten years it's predicted that the number one English speaking country in the world will be China?

According to our own Department of Labor one in four workers in this country has been with their current employer less than one year. And one in two has been with his or her current employer less than five years. In fact, the Labor Department estimates today's learners -- and I know we have a bit of an older average age for college graduates today -- but they say today's learners coming straight out of high school, that they will have had 10 to 14 jobs by their 38th birthday. Did you know many of today's college majors didn't even exist ten years ago? New media, organic culture, E business, nano technology, homeland security. What will today's students be studying ten years from now?

Today's 21 year olds have watched 20,000 hours of television, played 10,000 hours of video games, talked 10,000 hours on the phone, and sent and received 250,000 emails or instant messages. More than half of the 21 year olds in America have created content on the web. More than 70 percent of United States four year olds have used a computer. In 1984 the number of internet devices was 1,000, the number in 1992 was 1,000,000, the number in 2006 was 600,000,000.

Did you know we're living in exponential times? The first commercial test message was sent in December 1992. Now the number of text messages received daily exceeds the population of the planet. The internet started being widely used by the general public in 1995, just over 13 years ago. Did you know that one out of every eight couples married in the United States in 2005 met online? Revenue for Ebay in 2006 was six billion dollars. It was just founded 12 years ago. In 2007 there were more than 2.7 billion searches performed on Google in one month. Now, how did we answer these questions before Google? I'm not sure people know anymore. [Laughter]

Visitors to the social networking site MySpace totaled 10,000,000 in 2004, 30,000,000 in 2005, more than 60,000,000 in 2006. More than 230,000 new users signed up for a MySpace page every day last year. If MySpace were a country it would be the eighth largest in the world. [Laughter]

Did you know that the amount of technical information is doubling every two years? By the year 2010 it's predicted to double every three days. Third generation fiber optics have recently been tested that push ten trillion bits per second down a fiber. That's 1,900 CDs or 150,000,000 simultaneous phone calls each second. That speed is currently tripling every six months. The fiber's already there, it's really just improvement on the switches at the end. Which means the marginal cost to make these huge improvements is practically nothing.

And yet, with all this change nearly two billion children live in developing countries, one in three never completes the fifth grade. In 2005 the one laptop per child project set out to provide laptops to these kids. The first shipment started last year. Kids who had never held a textbook will now hold the world and they'll be connected to you. Predictions are that by the time children born in 2007 are six years old a super computer's computation abilities will exceed that of the human brain. And while predictions further out than 15 years are hard to do, by the year 2049 it's estimated a $1,000 computer will exceed the computing capabilities of the entire human race.

So what does this all mean? One could say we are currently preparing students for jobs and technologies that don't yet exist in order to solve problems we don't even know yet are problems. Albert Einstein said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Did you know there are students in China, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, and the United States who remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create, communicate, and collaborate on projects together every day?

And now that I've talked to you about all these things, I guess I'd ask this, ask your kids, are they doing this in their school? Ask your principal, how are you helping my child become literate and prepared for this 21st Century? Ask your school board, are you providing the resources and training necessary to prepare students to be successful in this rapidly changing environment? Ask your elected officials, now that you know all this, what changes are you making in public policy so that our country has an opportunity to thrive and succeed in this changing environment? Change is inevitable and the rate of change is becoming faster all the time and we should embrace that.

So what is your vision? My vision is that you never stop learning. It's a lifetime exercise. You also never lose your appreciation for the marvel that is the human brain and this great and free country will remain the engine of innovation and excellence that drives us to the highest levels of human achievement. I want to congratulate all of you on a job well done. And I wish you continued learning for the rest of your life. Thank you. [Applause]

Claire Bilby, Senior Vice President, Event Operations and Premium Services at Walt Disney World Resort, addressed graduates, their families and friends, faculty, and other supporter at WGU's Winter 2016 Commencement on Saturday, February 6, at Disney's Coronado Springs in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Transcription of video:

Dr. Robert W. Mendenhall: We're pleased to be in Orlando and being hosted by Disney today, and especially pleased to have as our commencement speaker, Claire Bilby, the Senior Vice President for Event Operations and Premium Services for the Walt Disney World Resort.

Claire is the Senior Vice President, as I mentioned of Event Operations, but has responsibility for the Disney Institute, catering and convention services, park event operations, Disney special attractions, and other responsibilities within the Disney enterprise.

She began her career with Disney in 1988, has held a variety of executive positions, most recently before her current position, was the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Disneyland Paris and Europe, leading all of the Disney parks and resorts' marketing efforts across Europe. She has also served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Disney Vacation Club.

Among her many accomplishments she helped to launch several Disney theme parks, including Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney's MGM Studios now known as Hollywood Studios, Disneyland Paris, the Animal Kingdom, and Disneyland California Adventure. It's with great pleasure that we welcome Claire Bilby as our commencement speaker. [Applause]

Claire Bilby: Honored faculty, esteemed and patient family members, and members of this graduating class of 2016, legend has it that Franklin Delano Roosevelt's son, James, once asked him for some advice on public speaking. He gave him three pieces of advice: Be sincere, be brief, and be seated. I attend to follow that advice today. After all, I am by no means the star of this show... you are. You have worked hard, you have sacrificed, and the people surrounding you, many of them here today, have sacrificed as well. And I am here to tell you one thing: It's worth it.

So, before I'm seated, let me tell you why I feel this way. In 1923, two brothers from Kansas City moved west to Hollywood, and started an animation studio in their uncle's garage. Their names were Walt and Roy Disney. In 1928, they created the world's first cartoon with fully synchronized sound, starring an adorable little rascal named Mickey Mouse.

Within a year, Mickey Mouse was the most popular cartoon character in the world. And not even the Great Depression could dim the public's appetite for Disney's cartoons. The company grew to what it is today, the world leader in family entertainment, employing 74,000 people just right here in central Florida. In fact, Walt Disney World is the largest single site employer in America.

Now, let me share something curious with you: Neither Walt Disney nor his brother Roy had a college degree. In fact, Walt never even graduated from high school. And graduates, before your family members start giving you the stink eye, let me share with you one additional fact. Even though neither one of them ever earned a college diploma, both Walt and Roy placed a huge premium on higher education.

Walt, who dropped out of high school to serve as an ambulance driver in World War I used his war time savings to take classes in painting and drawing once he was back at home. Later, as soon as the Mickey Mouse cartoons began to return a profit, Walt invested a considerable chunk of his revenue into art lessons for his entire animation staff. That priority came before the investment in today's Burbank Studio, and before setting money aside for creating breakthroughs such as the multi plane camera. Walt invested in knowledge, and the education of his people first.

After all, infrastructure and technology are very important, but as Walt once said, "You can dream, create, design, and build the most beautiful, wonderful place in the world. But it requires people to make the dream a reality." And as everyone here grasps intuitively, there is no better way to invest in people than to enrich them than by furthering their education.

Throughout their careers, and to the ends of their lives, the Disney brothers lived that philosophy. In 1955 Walt hired a professional educator to create what is known today as Disney University. It trains and edifies our cast in a wide variety of disciplines. It is broadly recognized as one of the most inspired in house training organizations in the world.

In 1961, after the feature films and the opening of Disneyland had secured the company's success, the first priority for Walt and Roy Disney was to fund, create, and found a private university for students of the visual and performing arts. That university, the California Institute of the Arts, known today as Cal Arts, is still respected the world over for excellence in its field.

And the tradition of educational excellence continued long after Walt and Roy passed away. For instance, 20 years ago this month, our company launched the Disney Institute, which I am privileged to have as part of my area of responsibility. The Disney Institute teaches organizations around the world how to emulate Disney's methods of leadership, employee engagement, and guest service. My point here is, that even though Disney was founded by a couple of guys who didn't have lot of education themselves, they recognized, and the company that they found continues to recognize that an educated workforce is absolutely necessary for a business to succeed.

Disney is not alone in that assessment. In most companies today, a degree is the price of entry to be considered for a leadership position. Part of that reason for this of course is the subject matter expertise. It takes knowledge to communicate effectively with your colleagues, and to serve those whom our businesses serve.

But another part, and sometimes I would say the larger part is the tenacity required to desire, work toward, and obtain a university education. The diploma you receive today is proof that you have the ability to conceive a long term goal, navigate a complex path to achieve it, and succeed in bringing it to reality what was only an idea years before.

It is proof that you have what Walt Disney would've once referred to as "moxie." And every leader and educator here would know as "vision." No matter what field you're in or what field you're entering, vision is a requirement for long term success. So the degree you receive today can make you more valuable to the business you're in, or the business you will be joining. And when I say "valuable" I'm not speaking philosophically.

Two years ago a Washington think tank known as the Economic Policy Institute analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the dollar and cents value of a college education. They found on average, in the early 1980s, a college graduate made 64 percent more than those without a degree working in a similar field. By the time of the millennium the wage premium had risen to 85 percent. As of 2009, it was 89 percent. And in 2014 college graduates were earning on average 98 percent more than non graduates in similar roles. That was two years ago. So today I would not be surprised if the premium was a hundred percent. Double the day for doing what every graduate here today has had the vision to do. So family, faculty members, please let's give these superstars a big hand. [Applause]

Now I know you have all heard the phrase "a win/win." Well graduates of 2016, what you accomplished today is a win/win/win. It is a victory for the businesses you serve, for the people who love you, and of course it's a memorable victory for you. And I want to tell you something more. We here at Disney are proud beyond words that Western Governors University has chosen us to hold the commencement here on property.

And here at Disney, we have a phrase that we use to describe this place that you may have seen on TV recently. The phrase is: "Unforgettable happens here." Well, ladies and gentlemen, what you've accomplished today, you give entirely new meaning to that phrase, and I hope you will never forget this day.

I trust you will always remember the honor you have gained for yourselves and your families through this achievement. And to the words of congratulations you're going to hear today, please let me add 74,000 more. I speak for every Disney cast member here in Florida when I say, "What you have accomplished is remarkable. It is commendable, and you have every right to be proud. You rock!" [Applause]

So, be sincere, be brief, be seated. I assure you have been sincere. Every word you have heard over the last five minutes, comes, I guarantee you, from the heart. I trust that I've been brief although I know minutes seems like hours when you're waiting to cross this stage, and receive that validation of your achievement. I decided when I was invited to speak I would spend fewer than ten minutes at this lectern looks like I've been successful and met that goal, and some. So now I will be seated. So congratulations one and all.

WGU 2017 Winter Commencement Speaker Will Weatherford, Managing Partner, Weatherford Partners and Former Speaker, Florida House of Representatives.

Transcription of video:

Will Weatherford: Good morning. What a great day. I'm so honored to be here, and President Pulsipher and to the members of the boards of trustees, the faculty, the parents and the loved ones, and most importantly to the graduates, and to those watching who are graduates, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this very special ceremony.

It's especially meaningful to me because I believe Western Governors University represents the future in higher education in the 21st century. With its competency based education system, and its student centered focus, Western Governors University has become a trailblazer in higher education in a rapidly changing world. As I've felt today in the presence of this room, there is something special about WGU.

Now they say that confession is good for the soul, so, I guess it would be appropriate for me to start out this morning with a confession. I don't remember a single word that was said at my graduation from my college. Sadly enough, what's even more embarrassing is, I was one of the speakers when I graduated from college. So I say that because I don't expect you to live on every word I'm about to say, after all, this speech does in conveniently stand between you and the wonderful and hard work diploma that you're about to receive here shortly.

But I know also how important this day is, not just for you, but for your parents and your family members and your friends and your loved ones. And I just look out in this room, and to see the thousands and thousands of people that showed up to support you. It's clear that you worked very hard to get here, and you sacrificed to get here. But there's a lot of people in this room who also sacrificed to help make this day a reality. Make sure and tell them today how much you appreciate them.

Because of my public service in elected office, I had the opportunity to give a lot of speeches. What makes this one a little bit even more special is that part of me feels like I should be sitting out there with you. It was stated just now that the average age of the graduate is 39 years old. My wife and I both turned 37 this year and we have four children. And so I say that because this is not one of those speeches where I feel like I'm passing the gavel onto another generation. I'm talking to my generation. And I believe that together, we can make this world and this country a much better place, and today is a big step for you in helping make that happen.

Now, I was thinking about the fact that I get to deliver some of the last words that you'll get to hear before you become a graduate. I believe last words can be very instructive, they're important things. There's actually some interesting history of people who actually on their deathbeds, their last words, the last words that people said before they passed away. And I think it's worth reflecting on that for just a moment. So here are some actual last words from some leaders and some names you'll recognize.

First, from the former president of the United States, and one of our founding fathers, John Adams. Now John Adams had a life long competition with Thomas Jefferson. And what he didn't know is that before he died, Thomas Jefferson had died four hours earlier and they both died on the 50th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence, July 4th. And on his deathbed, the last words that John Adams said was, "Thomas Jefferson lives." Ironic. True story.

The powerful Alexander the Great had no children. He had amassed this massive empire and all of his generals were at his bedside asking him, "Alexander, who is going to take over this empire that you've created?" Alexander the Great replied to them on his deathbed, his last words, "Whoever is the strongest."

And lastly, to a successful actor and Hollywood entertainer, Humphrey Bogart, his last words I thought were somewhat interesting. "I never switched from scotch to martinis." [Laughter] True story, look it up.

Now, I wouldn't necessarily compare myself to those people or their last words certainly. But I am going to give you a few last words and some pieces of advice that have served me well in my tenure. The first is easy. It's to never, ever, ever give up. There's a book that just recently came out by a lady named Angela Duckworth, it's called Grit. If you haven't read it, you should. And essentially, the argument that she makes that's based with data and research is that forever we've always thought that success correlated with intelligence. How high was your IQ? What did you get on your SAT score? That's what would determine how successful you would be in life.

What she found, when she dug into it, and the research showed is that someone's desire to succeed, their ability to persevere, their ability to fight through challenges that come before them is the greatest indicator of whether or not someone will succeed. So it's not just how smart you are, it's how willing are you to fight and work hard to achieve that success. Never, ever give up.

Number two. Never live a life of fear. There's a difference between living a life in fear, and being scared. We've all been scared. I almost died in a plane crash 12 years ago. That was pretty scary, okay? There is nothing wrong with being scared. But living a life of fear is a dangerous thing. And in the Bible, over 350 times the phrase is used, "do not be afraid, do not be scared, do not fear." Maybe God was trying to make a point, what do you think?

Psychologists will tell you that fear is one of the most powerful emotions that a human can have. Fear is what cripples our national politics, fear is what prevents entrepreneurs from taking the risk to achieve something great. Fear prevents us from living our dreams. Never live your life in fear.

Number three. We have a responsibility to give back by serving others no matter who we are, or what circumstances we find ourselves in. Churchill came to the United States in 1943 and spoke at a Harvard graduation and his speech was called and entitled, "The price of greatness is responsibility." His speech was the fact that America had become a great nation. The greatness of America though is not endowed by our creator. The greatness of America is not guaranteed. It is earned by each generation and we each have a responsibility to preserve its greatness.

You see, the idea of America is exceptional, but we live up to that idea because what is embedded in that idea is that we are people who serve each other, and we serve those who are greatest in need. So whether it's giving back by mentoring a young person, serving in a soup kitchen, helping someone in their time of need, or any other form of public service, always find a way to give back.

Number four. Be prepared for the changing world that is around you. The world is changing quickly. We are in the middle of the fourth industrial revolution with technology, artificial intelligence, and global connectivity changing the way that we live our lives. Education is no longer something that you're finished with after you get your degree. Your degree today is only part of that life long learning process that you are now going to be proceeding forward with.

Business is changing. Health care is changing. Education is changing. Information technology is changing. The world is not stagnant, it is moving at a rapid pace, and more rapid than ever before so commit yourselves to life long learning, and making sure that you can compete in this knowledge based economy.

Last, and number five is that your character matters more than your reputation. When I was a young man, I had a brother, his name was Drew, and Drew got to play quarterback for Florida State University for four years, about ten years ago. And I will never forget when coach Bobby Bowden, the legendary coach of Florida State came to our house to recruit my brother to play for him.

And we were talking about what type of environment he was going to set for his student athletes, and he told my mom and us as kids, that character mattered more than reputation because reputation is what other people think about you. Your character is what God knows about you. Character is more important than reputation. [Applause]

So let's rehash. Never give up. Do not live a life of fear. Give back by serving others. Be prepared for the changing world. And remember that your character matters more than your reputation. Today is a great milestone in your life. You have a degree and you have gained knowledge and wisdom that will give you new opportunities as you go forward. Many of you will go on to further your education, others will be entering the workforce, many of you have been in the workforce for a very long time. Whatever your next step is, I wish you all the success in it.

But I have one last thought for you. My favorite last word example. It's from a beloved children's author and probably the first author many of you ever read: Dr. Seuss. Dr. Seuss, on his deathbed said, "We can do better than this." When you look around America, and you see the challenges that we face, the political partisanship, the income and opportunity inequality, the technology disruption, the racism, the terrorism, the civil unrest, the $20 trillion of deficit that we face as a country, it can feel overwhelming. It can seem overwhelming, but these are real challenges that we face as a people, as a society.

I think it's easy to see the world the way that Dr. Seuss did, and that is that we can do better than this. And I believe that if we work together, we will do better than this. Graduates, you've accomplished so much. Today is a day to celebrate your wonderful, hard fought achievement. Tomorrow is about what you will do with it. Congratulations, and thank you very much. [Applause]

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb addressed graduates at the WGU 2017 regional commencement, hosted by WGU Indiana. The commencement ceremony was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. WGU Indiana Chancellor, Dr. Allison Barber introduces Governor Holcomb. And WGU President, Scott Pulsipher closes the video.

Transcription of video:

Dr. Alison Barber: Good morning and welcome to our 2017 WGU Commencement. We're thrilled to have you here. If you are from Indiana, and you're a Hoosier, it's great to see you. Yes, we love our Hoosiers. And if you're from out of state, welcome to the great state of Indiana, thank you for coming. [Applause]

On behalf of the entire university, we welcome our honored graduates. We admire your tenacity, your grit, your determination, and we applaud your completion. We also extend a welcome and a Hoosier warm welcome to all of our family and friends who are here, and those who are watching via live stream on the web. Thank you for joining us today.

I'm honored to be joined here today on the stage by some special guests. Of course, Governor Holcomb, who we'll hear from shortly. I welcome my WGU faculty members, and friends, our president, Scott Pulsipher; Dave Grove, Pat Partridge, Melissa Flores, Dr. Linda Gunn, Dr. Jan Jones Schenk, Joan Mitchell, and Warren Junium. Thank you for joining us today. [Applause]

Graduates, I wish you could see what I see, because right behind you I see a crowd of family, and friends who, if I were to guess, you might be sitting at the front of this auditorium because they're sitting at the back of the auditorium. And I'd like to invite all the family and friends who are here today to support our amazing graduates, would you stand up so we can recognize your amazing support? [Applause]

WGU is honored to be recognized as a military friendly school, and I'd like to take a moment to recognize our graduates who are in the military, the reserve, active duty reserves or veterans. Would you please stand so we can recognize you? [Applause]

Our military community are wearing a patriotic ribbon, so you'll note them as you see them in the lobby as well. And we appreciate your service.

It's hard to believe that 18 years ago, Western Governors University enrolled its first student. And today, we are proud that we have over 94,000 graduates around the country. Today, we are recognizing 500 of you. Half of receiving your master's, half receiving your bachelor's degrees. You've come from 26 states. The furthest has come from California. Our youngest graduate today is 18, our oldest graduate today is 67. [Applause]

So if you're sitting in the crowd and you're wondering if you can do it, you can do it too. You know, only 34 percent of Americans have a bachelor's degree, so you've set yourself apart. Only 8 percent of Americans have a master's degree, so you are poised for success because of what you have accomplished, and we're proud to celebrate that with you today.

When you enrolled in WGU, we made you a promise. And we said we would help you achieve your dream. Not our dream your dream of degree completion and career success. And so I applaud you for accomplishing that dream today, and I thank you for letting us be on the journey with you. Today is our best day at WGU and you make it so. Congratulations, graduates. [Applause]

So graduates, you know our education model is competency based. If you aren't familiar with competency based education, really simply put, it lets you use your prior learning and knowledge to accelerate to your goal. If competency based model were a politician, it would be Eric Holcomb.

As a life long Hoosier, the Governor developed competencies of hospitality, and respect for all citizens. As a veteran of the United States Navy, he formed his competencies of patriotism, discipline, focus, and teamwork. As a trusted advisor to former governor Mitch Daniels, and the Director of National Intelligence, Dan Coats, the Governor developed experiences in the importance of responsible governing. And as Lieutenant Governor, he deepened his knowledge about the diverse needs of Hoosiers, and the role of government leaders to shape policies to meet those needs.

So it comes as no surprise that when the governor decided to run for governor, he was able to bundle all of those competencies from his previous jobs, and all of his learning and experience to mount a successful campaign. What is a little surprising is he did that all in 106 days. From the time he announced to the time he became our governor, 106 days. Now, you want an example of using your competencies to accelerate to your goal? It's our governor.

I could share many more attributes about Governor Holcomb, but let me offer one final thought. Our governor is a believer in the WGU mission, and a supporter of all we do. So it is a true honor for me to introduce my friend, and the 51st governor of the great state of Indiana, Governor Holcomb. [Applause]

Governor Eric Holcomb: First and foremost, good morning to the graduates and to the WGU faculty and staff, and all the friends and family that have come from all over the country to be with us this morning, to celebrate the 2017 WGU graduating class. Good morning to one and all. That is an understatement. It is a great morning. It is a great morning in Indiana, and I'm just thrilled to be with you this morning to celebrate with the graduates and to share the stage with WGU president, Scott Pulsipher, and Indiana's chancellor, Alison Barber and all the gathered WGU leadership here on stage, and throughout the hall.

By the way, you know, I haven't shared this with you, Scott, but I tried to hire Alison Barber like 18 times and she keeps saying no, so I don't know what's in the water or what you're feeding her, or what incriminating evidence you have, but I just can't seem to pry her away from WGU. And I consider myself fortunate that she has stayed and she continues to lead this charge. There is none more important in our state at this time.

Because I too remember just a few years ago, when we were celebrating on a day just as this occasion, and there were seven seven graduates that day. And I called those seven "pioneers" because they truly were blazing a new trail for so many since, like yourselves, to follow.

Today, over 5,000 students, graduates, just here in Indiana have earned their degrees from WGU. You've all collectively just grown by leaps and bounds in such a relatively short period of time. And I know, I hear it, on a regular basis that WGU always, and rightfully so, gives most of that growth credit to you, the students and the graduates.

But I did want to just highlight how profusely grateful we are to the leadership at WGU. It is this is making such a positive difference in families in our state, and indeed, all across the country. And that's the why we are doing it. But the how that you are doing it is what is just so impressive to me and so many other onlookers. WGU continues to be visionary and is transforming the very model of higher education. Always, always for the better of the person, that Chancellor Barber spoke to just earlier, by making this whole experience and this step in your journey always student centered, or should I rather say "careerist centered."

But again, most of all, I'm most honored to be with you, the graduates. This is indeed a very special day for our state and for our nation. You know, I realize that commencement speakers are expected and supposed to provide some inspiration, but I will just confess to you, secondly, that it is you that I derive so much inspiration from, from my perspective because of your hard work, because of your determination, because of your perseverance.

I understand half around the country half of you are earning advanced degrees. A quarter, 25 percent of you graduating are changing lanes, changing careers. And this degree is enabling you to do that. Another quarter percent are pursuing a degree for the very first time. And so, I was asking myself, what is the common denominator to all of this? It's, I believe, that you all best understand that a relevant education, a relevant education is the most fulfilling and the best way onward and upward, and the best way to expand your horizons and the best way to build a bridge to your future opportunities.

And at this time, we need a lot of bridge builders. Now, I fully realize, and just knowing a few of the stories, narratives, I fully realize that you all took many different paths to get to this page in your life. But you've all arrived here this morning, shoulder-to-shoulder, equipped and ready to write that next chapter in your life. Because you've found a way, I believe, to pursue a career in which you're passionate about. And today you take a giant, a giant leap forward in your life. And it's going to, in many cases, change your family tree forever, and that is legacy building.

For some of you, you don't need me to tell you this, but for some of you, when your son or daughter sees their mom and dad in cap and gown, their expectations are instantly changed forever. Now they too expect to go to college. And that's a generational cycle of lower expectations being broken and raised up. Or maybe you'll convince a co worker or a neighbor, because you did this, that in fact, they can too. And you will break a cycle of what has been indecision in someone else's life.

You broke it because of this WGU experience and this degree. It's truly your golden ticket to success, and it's going to enable you to chart your course, your own path, and fulfill your own destiny to determine what that destiny is, and nothing that I can think of is more invigorating than that. That's why Indiana is so proud to have WGU in our Hoosier state. And I know that I can speak for my fellow gubernatorial cohorts that they too feel exactly the same way with WGU in their state.

I see WGU campuses literally as legacy launch pads all over the country, located exactly where you live, your exact address. And when you move, WGU moves with you. And we need more launch pads in this country as well, because to quote Noble Laureate Bob Dylan, "the times, they are a changing."

Think about it. For a kindergartner starting school today, 60 percent of the jobs that will need to be filled when they graduate from high school, 60 percent of those jobs don't exist today. Again, that's the why WGU is so important. It gives access, it gives affordability, and it's aligned with what our workforce needs currently are. That's what I call Triple A access, affordability, and alignment, just like Indiana's state credit rating, by the way. [Laughter] Couldn't help myself. But I will add a fourth, I'll add a fourth A agility.

WGU and certainly you, the students and the graduates, WGU is agile. Providing you, the students, again, the flexibility to meet and become equipped for those jobs of not just today, but five years from now, and 15 years from now, and 20 years from now. Let me put it in perspective for you.

Today, there are, as Chancellor Barber mentioned, 94,000 WGU graduates. And right now, as I speak, there are 92,000 unfilled jobs throughout the state of Indiana. So I've got a crazy idea for you I want to pitch. Now, I know there are a number of folks here today, graduates, and friends and family that traveled great distances to be here, and there are a number of folks watching on live stream that aren't from Indiana as well. There's 26 different states here with us. And as your host, if you're out of towners, I hope you've enjoyed your stay thus far, and I hope you're spending a lot of money while you're here, [Laughter] and I hope you're experiencing our authentic Hoosier hospitality.

But I don't think it's not so crazy after all. Here is my not so crazy idea for you. If you're not from here, move here. [Laughter] I mean, literally, not virtually you can do that too, but I mean literally move to Indiana. I want every single WGU student graduating today that doesn't live in Indiana to move here because our state needs you and we want you. We need more highly skilled workers, more disciplined, more dedicated, more "don't take no for an answer" experts in your fields, more problem solvers, more multi taskers, more programmers, more nurses, more teachers, more cycle breakers. We need more everything and I'm looking at it right now. Indiana wants you, and Indiana needs you.

I have employers asking me every single day about our workforce. In fact, everywhere I travel in the state, in the country, and around the world business leaders are asking me about how equipped our workforce is. If we're able to meet, and then exceed their expectations. WGU graduates, you are the answer, you are the answer to that question. Because we all know that this degree that you've earned, that you are exactly the hard working, highly skilled folks that they're looking for. And it's in part my job, our job, Indiana's job, to connect you to walk across that bridge with you. So, that's the pitch. You move to Indiana, and you'll have a good job.

But wait, that's not all. Low taxes, we've got it. We were just rated best in the Midwest, top 10 in the country. Low cost of living, we're in the top four in the country, we've got that box checked. Thriving cities? I hope you've felt a vibe, all that's going on around you in our capital city. Vibrant rural communities. There's some incredible stuff that's going on out there that's not just changing our state and our nation, but changing the world in our rural communities, scattered all across this great state. And if you move here, we'll even throw in a basketball hoop for your new house, so. [Laughter]

I could go on and on and on and on, but I'll stop there. But just, please, give it some thought. Mull it over. And wherever you... end up, on your next step, and the step after that on this journey, just know how incredibly proud of you we are. And incredibly thankful that you didn't settle along the way. And you're sticking close to what you're truly passionate about. I cannot wait. We're going to hear some compelling stories. And I can't wait to hear the next story, and the next story, and the next story and how just infectious your experience has been on the community, on the society around you.

I see a lot of talent in this room. I see more wisdom than a tree full of owls. I had to get that in there too. And I know that you are now on the path to accomplishing some extraordinary things for yourselves, and for your families. And if you could do it all here in Indiana that would be great too. We want you. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this absolutely unforgettable day, and congratulations on this well earned, well earned accomplishment. Congratulations graduates. [Applause]

Scott D. Pulsipher: Graduates, please accept our sincere congratulations. All of us at WGU are so proud of the accomplishments, and we welcome you into our now 94,000 strong alumni across the entire United States. I will extend my personal gratitude to each of you who have decided to actually make a difference and change your life. It is truly inspiring to be a part of this, and it is wonderful to see the inspiration that comes from each and every one of your stories.

And even while we have 90,000 plus students today, we strive to ensure that every individual has a personal experience, that they have the opportunity to have the support and the guidance and the instruction and the counseling and that individualized experience that ensures that each of you have the potential to achieve the goals that you've set for yourself as well as that as you attain your degree, that you also find a path to new opportunity and to allow you to change your life.

For many of you, earning your diploma is the fulfillment of this lifelong goal. The academic degree you have earned at WGU will surely open doors for you, and allow you to explore new opportunities. But it's important to remember that commencement is not the end. It represents new beginning. I encourage you to explore your dreams, dare to discover, and follow your passions. And whatever you choose to do, do it as well as you possibly can and great things will follow.

Some time ago I was asked this simple question: Scott, do you love the world in you, or do you love you in the world? And at first I didn't understand the point of the question, but as I contemplated that, I started to realize that in fact, our world would be a much better place if we in fact loved ourselves in the world because we see ourselves uplifting those around us, that others with whom we associate are better because of our association with them. That we see the opportunity to truly become selfless.

In fact, selflessness in many ways, might be the truest characteristic of one who understands their true identity. And so I encourage each of you to also develop a sense of loving yourself in the world, and the great things that you can do in it.

Learning is a lifelong journey, and one that is now a habit of both your mind and your heart. I urge you to continue your journey, to reach out to others in pursuit of their dreams. Identify meaningful ways to contribute to your communities, and to your neighbors, to your families, and help us find our way as a united country, to a brighter pathway for our children and our children's children.

Now let's take a minute and as is the sign of the time, if you have a phone on, and I've seen some of you taken already, a selfie with the governor. So, if you could, get out that phone, and let's actually take a selfie, if you would. So I'm gonna ask Chancellor Barber, and Governor Holcomb to get up here with me, and we're gonna get all of you in our selfie, but you should stand up and take a selfie so you can get the crowd behind you in that picture as well.

Okay! So, [Applause]. Now make sure you take advantage of all the social platforms out there and tag that with the hashtag WGUGrad. Again, congratulations to all of you. It is truly a wonder experience for us to be a part of this, and it is inspiring to all of us, and I'm sure it is inspiring to you, and to your family, to your friends.

And now, I ask that we simply remain seated until our graduates have filed out, and congratulations again, and thank you. [Applause]

Poetic Voice, and the CEO/Founder of Sekou World, Inc., Sekou Andrews addressed graduates at the February 2018 WGU Master's Commencement Ceremony. This regional commencement was held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Transcription of video:

Sekou Andrews: All right. Apparently this is the official spot right here. It's where I feel very official. Let's get official. Parents, families, friends, faculty, staff, and of course, the graduating class of 2018 -- [Applause] -- oh, they make noise! They make noise. That's good, because they gonna need that for this speech.

Listen, if you came here looking for a... "your whole life is ahead of you" speech, if you were getting ready to hear a "the world is your oyster, the world is yours for the taking, the world is waiting for you to begin" speech, you done come to the wrong place.

Yeah, you probably should just go ahead and check your Facebook or something, you know? Maybe hit the bathroom because this speech is not for you. No, this is not a "your whole life is ahead of you" speech. This is a "some of you got about like two-thirds of your life on the windshield, you know? Half of you got half your life in the rearview." The 77-year-old, that person's like, I don't know what you talking about, but my whole life is ahead of me.

But all of you have all of your life in the driver's seat, so this is a "I'm changing the tires while driving" speech, okay? [Applause] Ya'll getting ready for it? Ya'll getting ready for it? This is not a "the world is your oyster" speech. This is a "Mmm! I killed those oysters, and they were delicious, so what is next on the menu" speech.

This is not a, "the world is yours for the taking" speech. This is a "you learned the world was yours for the taking years ago," speech. You sometimes just didn't know how to take it, right? You always didn't have the time, or the skills or the resources to seize your day and shape it. But now, you do. Now, you've not only taken the world, you have purchased the deed, put a mortgage on it, raised a couple kids in it, and paid taxes in it! Please! Please! [Applause]

You have already taken the world by storm, so this here degree is simply your proof of purpose, call it your "bachelor's receipt."

This, this here is not a "you are young, talented, and facing your truth" speech. This is a, "you are grown, and grinding, and got stuff to do" speech. This is a "already in hot pursuit" speech. This is a "finally got no excuse speech" speech. Because we all full of excuses until we find something that works don't we? Right? We just, we got excuses for days.

You know, we will keep saying, "Oh, I would totally lose like 20 pounds if I could just workout from home," you know? Until we meet a trainer who says, "I will meet your at your place 6 a.m., be dressed." Right? We love repeating, "I would totally save more money if I wasn't so in debt," you know, until we meet a credit counselor who helps us live off less like a game of rock-credit card-scissors, right?

Eventually, something comes along that removes all of our excuses like "I would totally get my degree, you know, if I could like set my own hours, you guys." Boom, here's Task Stream. Log in. "I would totally finish high school if there was a way to do it from home." Boom, here is a project you can do in your pajamas. Just log in. "And I need to be able to take classes at night." Coffee it up, and log in. "And, if I could finish it in like 18 months." Start your clock now, and log in.

"And, if I got competency units for my job." Look, you work it, we count it. Now log in and start the run! And don't stop until the goal is won! [Applause] Huh? ! This here, this is not "Let's get it started..." no, this is "let's git 'er done!" See, this school is not a starting school.

No, this is a finishing school, huh? And not to be confused with a charm school, you know, where you learn how to fold a napkin. No, this is a finishing school where you learn how to hold (makes clicking sound) a degree. Huh? This is a finishing school that has adults finishing school at high-speed download rates.

This is the finishing school of thought that teaches how to finish what you start, made up of not academic advisors and professors and graders, but text support, student mentors and evaluators who see students to the end, and play their ongoing part, helping these tenacious hearts overcome their troubled start like first time fail.

Second time, win. First time, fail. Second time, fail. Third time, win. Okay. First, third, seventh... ninth time, fail. But I'm gonna finish on the ten because I got a program mentor who was at my side until the end. Huh? [Applause] Ha! Okay. And even when -- even when she calls and I'm not ready, so to voicemail, I send -- [Laughter] she calls again to help me create my version of the word "win," which is why this speech is not "you have spent the past four years dutifully striving through each semester toward your degree" speech.

No. This is a "I don't even really know what a semester is," speech. "I earned this degree in half the time, with double the course load, and twice the GPA, at half the cost" speech. [Applause] Somebody out there feels me. This is not a "as you prepare to enter into adulthood" speech.

This is a "You are sitting alongside your adult kids... [Laughter] both of you doing college-level homework -- "get off me, get off me, what you get for number 42?" Right? And playing "who's gonna be first in the family to get a degree" speech. This, right here, this is not a "the world is waiting for you speech," this is a "the world didn't wait up for you, so you put on your hustle shoes and caught up with the world "speech.

This is "the world had the nerve to try to tell you what it knows you cannot do, and you look back at the world all confused because all that came out was psshh, who?" And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the legend of how you sages came to be known as night owls. At least my version. That's just my version. That's my version. Because in my version it's not just because you nocturnal creatures were known to start class after kissing your family goodnight.

It's not just because for you, getting dressed for school usually went running out for a triple-shot caramel macchiato, or because of how often you woke up at your laptop to find drool on your keyboard, and the letter "D" pressed 687 times across your screen, right? Somebody out there did that, handed in that one, right? "Needs revision." [Laughter]

It is also because of your version of the classic owl sound. See, we all know the sound that most species of owl make, right? Whoo! Whoo! But the sound that WGU owls make is "Psshh... who!" As in, when you stand facing constant adversity, and intimidating odds and the world says, "You will never overcome this," the night owl says, "Psshh, who? You must be talking about somebody else."

Because even on the hard days, I can't get over it, I just go through it till it's behind me. On the days I can't levy the waves, man, I just learn to surf tsunamis. So adversity ain't nothing but a Thursday night, and I am a walking TGIF. Who! [Applause]

As in, when you stand, face pressed against the dark of night, and the world says, "You know, it is statistically unlikely with your maturity, and your responsibilities, that you will ever find your way through this darkness to a degree." The night owl says, "Psshh... who? I know you ain't talking about me, because the fire in me has burned bright enough to light my path through raising four kids, surviving three hurricanes, serving two tours and enjoying one heaven of a life.

So as far as I'm concerned, I am the light at the end of the tunnel." [Applause] See, you all... you all are not your average students, which is why this is not your average commencement day celebration. These are not your average commencement day gowns that you're wearing all pristine, unblemished. No, that's not how we do it.

No, your gown, your gown has dish soap and sauce stains on it from all the nights that you came home after work to find a raggedy pot of hamburger helper on the stove, and a mostly clean kitchen, courtesy of your loving husband and son, who were stepping up their chore game so that you can get right to your coursework and get that business degree. Huh?

And your gown -- [Applause] -- oh, well your gown has camouflage fatigues stitched into lining for the many nights you spent faithfully serving our country that sometimes felt like a cakewalk compared to the battlefield of passing clinical microbiology and being 400 in the queue. Really? How long is this going to take? [Laughter]

We are each robed in gowns that tell our story today. Even me. Even me. Because in case you hadn't noticed, this here is not your average commencement day speaker. [Laughter] This is poetic voice. Most of you don't even know what that means, right? And I understand that. I understand it. You're like, "poetic voice? What, you're a poet?" When I introduce myself as a full-time poet, "Hi, my name is Sekou, I'm a full-time poet."

People look at me like I said, "Hi, my name's Sekou, I'm a full-time mermaid. Nice to meet you." [Laughter] And poetic voice was my answer to the world, trying to figure out how to put me into the box. Are you a speaker or an entertainer. Yup! Is it business content, or is it a... performance? Absolutely, you got it, correct. Right?

And the world didn't have a label for that, so what did I have to do? I had to create it. I had to create the model for the world to follow. And that model was poetic voice, a seamless blend of inspirational speaking and spoken word poetry so that you can't tell when the business content ends and the performance begins, the theater ends, the story-telling ends, it just becomes one, seamless experience that creates a new model for public speaking.

And I understand what each and every single one of you were born through in this age, in this industry, where we have all benefited from someone saying there is a different model we can follow. I get it. I know what all of ya'll, no matter what demographic or age, ya'll are in, I got you, right?

Those of you who were getting your degrees right out of high school, I know you! I got my degree right out of high school, went straight to college, got my bachelor's degree. I was actually the student commencement speaker at my college, which is kind of interesting, full turn, to be up on this stage right now, right? And those of you who were changing your careers in your 30s? I know you. Listen, if you are trying to get your IT degree, your teaching degree.

I was a full-time fifth grade teacher, and I can tell you this: If you think it's hard changing careers in your 30s to get a teaching degree, and become a teacher, try changing careers in your 30s to quit being a teacher to become a full-time poet. [Laughter] You want to talk about hard, we can go toe to toe with hard, okay? Everybody looking at you like, "What are you going to do though, what are you going to do do? But what are you going to do, do, do? What are you going to do, do, do, do, do?" I know you.

And for those of you in your 40s and 50s and beyond, I know you. Those of you who are actually sitting here right now, getting your bachelor's degree at this age, in spite of a world that was constantly telling you, "Uh, really, like now? You're gonna go for that? In the 40s and the 50s, you're gonna go get a bachelor's degree? You didn't want to do that earlier, like when everybody was -- when we was all getting ours, you didn't feel like that's what you wanted to do then?

It's gonna be harder now, you know? I don't think you're gonna make it, and that's probably not gonna happen right now, you should just give up right now." I know you. I know the voices you hear. I know the voices you struggle through. I know the voices that you had outside of you, and the voices you heard inside of you, that you were not enough, and it will not happen, that you should give up, that it's too late. I know that.

I mean, shoot, I'm looking at myself right now with my wife, at my age, trying to start a family. Start a family! Start... a family! I'm talking about with all these years on my driver's license, all this pain in my back, all this slowness in metabolism, and I'm trying to start. That means that when I am going to the high school graduation of my godson, I will also be stopping to pick up diapers for my son. Are you understanding what I'm saying, the pain? I'm talking about this ahead, and everybody telling me, "Really, you're gonna do that now? You didn't want to do it earlier when we was all raising ours and starting a family?

You know it's gonna be harder for you, right? You know it's probably not gonna happen for you, right? You know you're probably too old, right?" I know you. And I'm here 'cause, shoot, I got a little night owl in me too. World tells me, you can't do it, and I tell the world, psshh! Who? I will achieve my dreams, even with obstacles. Even with setbacks. Even with heartache, and pain, and disappointment, and loss after loss after loss and having to go and explain to others why it is that I am doing this, why it is that I've taken so long, why it is that I'm going through all this trouble.

Listen, I know it will happen and what I also know is that it may not be the same path as you. It may not look like the same path everyone else took. It may not be the traditional version of it, and maybe -- maybe it will be first time, fail. Second time, win. First, second time, fail.

Third time, win. First, second, third, fourth, fifth time, fail. But it will be finished with a win. It will be finished when I finish because I don't know about you, the previous version, that's just the version that passes. But sometimes, our version, it might need revisions, it might need to have a different way of approaching it.

And if it sounds to you like I got something to prove, please understand I do. Just like I did when I created poetic voice in the face of the world saying, "Poetry doesn't belong here." And I had to create new model and show the world what they couldn't see. Just like Western Governors did when they looked around and said, "You know, I think this Internet thing might catch on. We should use that to prove that we can be a new model for education that's even more accessible, and even more affordable."

Just like all of you did when your boss said, "Oh, you think that you are promotion material? Prove it." Oh, and when your kids said, "Oh, you think that a degree is achievable for me? Prove it." And when the statistics said, "You think that you can be the exceptions to our rule?" Well, I'll tell you what, the proof is in the pudding. Which is why, when each and every single one of you hears your name echo through these loudspeakers today, I want you to step into these aisles like they are pudding fashion runways. Huh? [Laughter] [Applause]

You better strut across this stage looking like homemade, fresh-out-the pot tapioca. Huh? If you're in this room, you'd better guide past us like grandma's banana pudding, huh? I'm talking about with vanilla wafers, okay? And none of the brown bananas. You know what I'm talking about. Banana pudding. If you're at home, or if you're online, I want you to get up and walk around in your living room like your shoes are made of Tia's homemade flan.

I want all 6,000 of you, whether you are here, or at home to talk into your next chapter looking like Louisiana bread pudding with Mexican chocolate, topped with caramelized bananas and vanilla bourbon sauce. [Applause] And if you feel like this speech is starting to make you kind of hungry... you're wrong.

That hunger has been in you long before I ever showed up. That hunger, that's what got you through constantly hearing the voices of family and friends and bosses. "You know, you never come out with us anymore." "Daddy, how come you're always so tired?" "You're late to work again. Let me guess, you have to study. You can't pass that course, you're not that smart, you can't do this, it's too late for you. Why don't you just go back -- stick with what you -- why don't you just --." "Dear God, please let Mommy hurry up and get her nursing degree that she can come be our mommy again."

And that's all right. That's just the sound of the stomach growling. But today, today is no longer about the hunger. Today is finally about the feast. Feasting on the fruits of your labor today as you celebrate finally getting to be mommy again, but even better version. And be husband again, the new and improved version. And be employee again, the newly promoted version.

Today is not about the thirst, it's about the toast, about raising your glasses with the parents and the sisters, and the cousins, and the family members, and the grandmothers, and the second and third cousins, and the bosses, and the kids, and listening to them tell you how incredibly proud of you they are because they are, right? ! (Crowd says yeah) Yeah, are you listening?

Are you listening to that? [Applause] See today is about celebrating the harvest of your hard work at this college of IT that was built to work hard for the working. This college of health professions that grows students who are grown. This teaching college that grinds out degrees for those on the grind. This college of business that lives to help those who have lived.

This finishing school that works to no end to help students reach the end. Where graduates don't finish like stop, they finish like win. They don't stop or say when, they only stop at the end long enough to toss that cap, have a party and then begin the next chapter of their journey, this time stronger within, with the skills to know how to fall, and get back up again, to hold your head high because you stay lifting your chin.

Because you've proven that even your best version can better itself again. So this is not a speech to help you celebrate the first version of you. Nah, nah, nah, this is a speech to celebrate you-point-2. I'm talking update and repeat like you-point-3 upgrade to even more like you-point-4, up-leveled and multiplied.

This is you-point-5 surrounded by faculty and staff, kids, dads, moms, who remind you to never stop short, always go long and help you to finish strong like bachelor's degree made of Teflon. A night owl telling the world never, to bring it on. This is the day that you showed us there is no storm you cannot weather.

This is the place where you proved there's no expiration date for chasing forever. And this is the moment the world finally learns the futility of telling you never. Because today is when you put the world on notice that your best... just... better. Thank you. Thank you all so much.

[Hip-hop music]

Congratulation graduates. Go out there and get 'em. Thank you so much.

Helen Thayer addressed graduates at June 2018's WGU Bachelor's Commencement in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Transcript of video:

Helen Thayer: Well good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for the privilege of allowing me to speak here today. And graduates, congratulations. You made it. And I know that some of you -- many of you have had to overcome many difficulties and along, along this road to your -- your degree, but you made it. And now you can look ahead for future that will -- you'll benefit from what you have already achieved.

And I'm sure as you traveled your journey, you probably learned a lot of life's lessons that you had not learned before. And for me, I, I began learning my life's lessons at a very young age. I come from New Zealand, where I was born and educated. And, uh, when I was nine years old, my parents finally, after a lot of pestering, allowed me to start climbing mountains with them. And one of our very close friends, a family friend, was Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first person to summit Mount Everest.

And my parents told me, "Well, you can start climbing with us." It was to be Mount Teranaki in the center of the North Island of New Zealand, eight and a half thousand feet high, but it was in the wintertime. And they told me, "But you've got to carry your own pack. Nobody else is gonna carry it for you." And I came from a household that was quite strict on rules. So I knew that would be that. And so as you can imagine, halfway up that mountain, my legs -- my nine-year-old legs turned to lead. I was so tired I could hardly stand. I thought I could not take another step, but my father kept saying, "You don't have to climb this mountain in one long step. Just one step at a time will do it."

My mother kept saying, "Now look, don't look backward. Look forward. Look at that summit. Visualize yourself standing on that summit. Visualize yourself as being successful. You can do it. Know that you can do it. See that picture. Keep that picture in your mind." And finally I did stand on that summit. And that nine-year-old little girl felt as though she was the most important person in the entire world at that time. But I'd made it.

And those were two lessons that have carr-- carried me through all the way through my education and my, my exploration, and various sports. And then, as, as -- of course of -- then I continued to climb mountains, I learned more and more as Sir Edmund Hillary became my teacher and I learned a lot of technical climbing techniques. And then I decided that I would, um, enter the sport of -- well, after having competed in many other sports, I actually represented three countries in track and field. And New Zealand, the country of my birth, Guatemala, where my future husband was a helicopter pilot, and then, of course, United States once I became a citizen. I also won a world championship in kayaking and skiing.

But one day I had an idea that I would like to participate in the sport of luge. Now don't like to talk too much about my, my career as a luger, because it does put the stamp of insanity on my lifestyle. But it fascinated me. And I thought now I would just love to win that national championship. What an accomplishment that would be in that difficult sport. But I knew it would be a difficult road, because I would have to go -- I gave myself two years, and I knew that I'd have to compete against people who're very, very talented. Very good at this.

And so I'd learned beforehand now along my road through climbing mountains and sports that a goal without a plan is simply a dream. So I knew I had to simply sit down and plan this one out. So I planned the new two years in minute detail. I knew what I had to do if I was -- ever had a chance of winning this championship. Well, I, I continued on according to my plan. And yes, it was basically one step at a time. But in reality it was really one crash after the other and try to forget the last crash and go on to the next one.

And two years later still in one piece, I finally won that championship. And it, it was a great lesson to me in perseverance. [Applause] Thank you. But then as I, of course, mountain climbing was my -- was really my first love. So I continued climbing mountains. Uh, attacking more technical routes as I did. And then I climbed Mount Denali in Alaska. My first mountain over 20,000 feet. After that I went overseas and climbed mountains around the world. But this was actually my first love was mountain climbing. I just really loved the high altitude and just looking out there and that beautiful pristine air.

And of course I live -- I live in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. And this is where I was training for all of these endeavors of sports, and the, and the mountain climbing. Then one day I decided that, you know I've got all these lifetime experiences. The things that I have learned. The saving of goals. The planning for success, one step at a time. Always visualizing myself as being successful. Never looking back Always looking forward. And I thought, "I need to give -- I need to send this message." Get this message in my lifestyle. I need to share it with students K through 12." In, in a program I called Adventure Classroom.

And up -- to date, I've spoken to over a million children, students K through 12, uh, in schools actually in, in schools since 1988. And it's been a very rewarding journey that I've taken. And this is of course is what I intend doing for the rest of my life.

But then I decided what, what should be the first program for the Adventure Classroom? So I decided to ski alone to the magnetic North Pole. And of course I knew that this would be a challenge. I, I really needed to plan on this one, because there was no equipment available. I was really a pioneer of sorts.

And so as I tr-, and I bought an Inuit dog who'd been trained to keep polar bears out of the village. Keep the humans safe, because there're a large amount of polar bears along my route. And so, so, the, the plan was there. The goal was there. I knew what I needed to do. But I found that people were so negative. People would say to me, "Oh, you're, you're not gonna make this. The polar bears are gonna hunt you down and they'll kill you. They'll eat you."

And then they would tell me, "Well, you'll go -- you'll fall through the thin ice into the Arctic Ocean and you'll drown." And the one that really got me was, "Well you're a woman and you're going alone. You can't do that." And I thought, "Well, why not?" Well, first of all I know -- 50 years old. I know I'm a woman. And yes, I can do this alone. [Laughter] There's no mystery here.

And so I, I set out. My family, of course, were very supportive. I set out with my dog, Charlie. I called him Charlie. He walked at my side to protect me from bears. And of course seven polar bear up close encounters later, storms, and, uh, yes, I did have to walk across some very thin ice, but finally Charlie and I made it to the pole. I was unresupplied and unsupported. I'd reached my goal. The first program for Adventure Classroom. [Applause] Thank you.

And then -- and then of course, um, my husband was a helicopter pilot. He retired from flying so he could join me in my work for Adventure Classroom, because we were both passionate about what we were doing. Just, just getting these messages into the kids in the schools via my, my expeditions.

So we decided to take on the Sahara. So we traveled. We actually walked 4,000 miles through seven countries from Morocco to the Nile River. And this was indeed a very difficult journey. Our camels carried our gear and our water. And at one point, we were kidnapped. At another point, we were stood up to be executed. Another time we walked through 600 miles of minefields. We were robbed twice. But seven and a half months later, we made it, because through all the trials and tribulations, we knew that we could do it. We knew that we would one day reach the banks of the Nile River. If we could just put one foot in front of the other. And we kept seeing that picture in our minds of the Nile and we will be there.

We told each other this. "What's it gonna be -- " we talked about the Nile River. We just -- we urged ourselves on mentally even though some days we -- we were so exhausted we were putting in 18-hour days. And so finally we did reach the Nile River. And it was a tremendous victory for us after all those months. We looked like a couple of scarecrows, but we had made it.

And then we decided to bring the rainforest of the world into the classroom. So after the Amazon, we went and we kayaked 2,000 miles in the Amazon. And as in all expectations, there's always some trial and tribulation to be overcome. And at one point, we were attacked by a swarm of killer bees. And this is not a fun -- not a fun thing to happen to you. It is very bad. We were absolutely swarming with these bees. We were being stung. And we've, we've learned that to deal with the problem of the moment, don't deal with the problems that might -- might eventuate. Might never happen. The only way to get rid of the bees was to dive into the water. This is where the piranha live. So but of course we'll just have to -- we figure the piranha are gonna have to wait until later. We've got to deal with the bees first. [Laughter]

So into the water we went. We -- scraping these bees off. Finally we got them off. We have our epi pens ready, because we really needed it by this time. Back into our kayaks. We're able to get ourselves out to actually -- we're in pretty bad shape. We had to help each other, but the crisis was over. And the piranha didn't find us. So the piranha were good neighbors, at least at that time anyway. But of course the Amazon is fascinating. We were able to bring so much information into the classroom.

And then I decided that, um, I needed to continue of course the expeditions and I will do for the rest of my life. And last November to celebrate my 80th birthday, I decided I would walk the entire length of Death Valley from the extreme north to the extreme south. I would do it alone and I would haul all my gear and my water on a cart behind me, because there is no water in Death Valley. So I had to plan. Now talk about planning. The goal -- remember I told you. A goal without a plan is only a dream. I knew this one -- I really had to plan this one. How'm I gonna get all this water? I only weigh 125 pounds. I had a -- I was pulling a cart starting weight of 185. So that I means I really had to train hard. I really had to be prepared for this.

So then I set off. And about the se-, in the middle of the journey my, my day food went bad on me and I, I was suffering from food poisoning. I had a temperature of 104 degrees. A ranger found me. He said, "You look like death." I thought, "Well thank you for the compliment. You're not too encouraging." But he said, "I need to take you to the hospital." I said, "Oh, no, no, no. I know I can fight my way through this." Because I knew if I quit, I might not restart. But I knew if kept putting one foot in front of the other and keep thinking about my -- the end result, I knew I could fight my way through this temperature. And finally after four days, what I did was just aim for a place about 100 yards ahead of me. Then I'd get there. Then I'd go another 100. And another 100. And another 100.

I kept going. And I knew I could do this. Then finally by Day 6, the, the problem was gone. I was well again. I was able to pick up the march and keep going. And finally I did arrive at the end of Death Valley. And so now next year, I'm going back again. [Applause] Thank you.

And I, I discovered in my work in the schools that children don't know very much about the national parks in this country, which I think is somewhat appalling because they're such beautiful treasures. So I have decided that I will walk the length of every national park in the United States and I will take the information into the classroom and you will learn about your national parks, whether you like it or not. You will learn, because I'm gonna go there. And I will bring it to you. And so those are my future plans. And so Adventure Classroom, I continue on and keep on going.

But, but I, I know that you have set your goals and you -- you've made your plans. And now, you can look ahead at your life and think about the, the, the, the, uh, goals that you want to set in your future. Your education's gonna make a big difference. Now you can go ahead. You know that you've reached this very important goal in your life and you can go ahead and you can inspire others to do the same that you have one. That you can always -- you can always teach other people, "This is what I did. You, too, can do it." Because we're all very special. Every single one of us are special. We're all the same way. We are special. We have special gifts. We have special talents. We just have to find those talents, go after them, and always think of success. Look ahead. Never look back. Well thank you very much for listening to my story. [Applause] Thank you.

With her military career as a decorated US Army Black Hawk Pilot, her exemplary business background including being a global contract negotiator, and her nationally recognized network marketing success, Elizabeth shattered the glass ceiling and continues to rain glass as an in-demand international keynote speaker and leadership specialist.

Listed as one of the Top 5 “Leadership Experts to Follow Online,” Elizabeth’s perspective on Leadership, Business, and Veterans Issues is highly sought after with the media. She is frequently seen on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and CW, as well as in national newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal. She is the author of The P.I.L.O.T. Method; the Five Elemental Truths to Leading Yourself in Life, and 17+ business tip books in the Soar 2 Success series on leadership and entrepreneurial topics.

Elizabeth’s many military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal and Humanitarian Service Medal, as well as the coveted Army Aviator “Wings.” In 2011, Elizabeth received the US Congressional Veteran Commendation for her service to her country and community as a disabled veteran.

Now it's my honor to introduce our commencement address, our speaker. Our keynote speaker is the host of a new TV show in development. She is currently number five on the list of leadership experts to follow online, and she's a best selling author with more than 18 published books on entrepreneurship and leadership topics. In 2011, Elizabeth was awarded the U.S. Congressional Veteran Commendation. While serving in the U.S. Army, Elizabeth flew air command and control, air assault, repelling and top secret intelligence missions, and also transported high level government VIP's, including the Secretary of Defense. Let's see these missions, Elizabeth in the awe inspiring Black Hawk in action.

[Video starts]

Male: So strap into your seats. It is our pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker. Former U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot, Elizabeth McCormick.

[Video Ends]

[Applause]

Elizabeth McCormick: Thank you. When I was eight years old. Do you remember when you were eight years old, right? It was a long time ago for some of us, right? When I was eight years old, something woke me up in the middle of the night. I wasn't sure what it was. But I down the hallway in the dark. And as I went to get a drink of water, I realized another light was on in one of the other rooms.

And I peered across the corner of the hallway to see what it was. And I saw my mother. My 32-year-old mother was hunched over a card table, full of papers and books. She had gone back to school. She was going back to get her degree. And I will tell you that was the first of many, many nights I saw her up late studying, working hard. I saw the exhaustion, I saw the exhilaration.

And I will tell you, that that shaped me. As a young girl, it shaped me. It shaped me. She became my inspiration. You see, each of you, you don't even know how much impact you have had, how much you have inspired, just by doing this, by going back to school, by showing the perseverance, by doing the late night s and doing the work. How many of you have kids? How many of you have seen a kid? [laughter] Yeah. You might have children, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, other family members, co-workers. They see you. They have seen what you have done, and you've inspired them. You impact them, and you influence them. And you might not even know how much that you made that difference until they've grown, until later when they're persevering, when they're going through a hard time, and they remember you.

My mother shaped me. I needed to know that it was that hard work and that perseverance. Because when I decided to become a helicopter pilot, I decided to believe in my potential. I call that being in the "potential zone." Because as all of you graduates know, in your comfort zone you get what you already got. The potential zone is when you step out of your comfort zone and you do something you've never done before. It makes a difference for you.

Oh! I went to the recruiter and he said, "You can't do this." I wanted to be a pilot. "You can't do this." And let me tell you, how many of you had somebody say, "You can't go back to school and get your degree."? Anyone? I'm the only one. Come on, now, right? You see we choose what we believe. I believed I could do this. So when he said, "You can't do this," I looked at him, and I asked him with curiosity, not attitude, I said, "Why not? Why not? What is standing in my way?"

And he looked at me and he said, "Well, well, well, you need perfect eyesight." I have that. "Why not?" "Well, well, well, you need perfect physical condition." I used to have that. [Laughter] I was a lot younger then. "Why not?" "Well, well, well, you need a college degree." Ha! I will tell you I have three. "Why not?" "Well, well, well, you need leadership." I said, "I have that too. Why not?" "Well, well, because... uh... uh... uh..." Go ahead and say it with me.

And I said, "Why not?" I needed to know. I will challenge you, as you go on from here to be more curious, to ask more questions, to ask why and why not, know what is standing in your way. Because you don't have to believe what they believe.

So, I asked him "Why not?" And he said anyone want to guess? How many of you think it's because of my gender? Yeah. Here is what he said, "I don't know how to do that paperwork." I want you to think about that. See, he didn't know how to do his own job. What would've happened if I had gone into that recruiting station and I had believed in him instead of me? Would I have become a helicopter pilot? Would I now be a motivational speaker? I travel all over the world. I just spoke in New Zealand. Hold on. Yeah.

Would I be here today? Probably not. My entire future changed because I was willing to believe in myself, my abilities, my potential, my potential zone more than anyone else's lack of belief. Your beliefs are a choice, and you have been in that potential zone. You are here. Yeah. And your belief carried you here didn't it? Through the hard nights, through the long nights. Through working, family, crisis, whatever it might be, you've gotten here.

So I'll tell you what I did. I sat in his office, I read the regulations, and I did the paperwork for him. I did his job. Because graduates, families, faculty, when it really comes down to it, your future is your responsibility. It is up to you to be in the pilot seat of your future. And the fact is, it's just like a helicopter, there is no autopilot. You are on the controls all the time.

Well, in order for you to understand what flight school is like, I need to teach you how to fly a helicopter. Would that be okay? Okay, there is some audience participation required here. [Laughter] so let's teach you how to fly a helicopter.

You're going to need both hands and feet. Go ahead, take a second, both hands and feet. So when you fly a helicopter, your right hand is on the cyclic. The cyclic is a stick. It goes down to the floorboard, up into the rotor system and it controls the pitch of the rotor blades. So, with your right hand, I want you to just take your right hand and stick it straight out. Don't hit the person in front of you. All right? That's where your cyclic would be in the helicopter. So this controls which direction you go.

So if you want to go forward, I want you to push and lean forward. Now if you want to go to the side now, as a room we're all going to go to this side. So if you want to go to the side, we're going to push and lean that side. Yeah, now you're flying. Yeah. Now, if you want to go to the other side. That's right, you got this. And if you wanted to go back, whoa, whoa, whoa, you have a tail back there. If you pull that too far back and you hit your tail... that's bad. Don't do that.

Now who said you could put your arm down? I just said there's no autopilot. You're flying the helicopter. So go ahead and keep your arms up there. Families are you participating too? Come on, I want to see you fly. All right. So that's with your right hand. Now with your left hand I want you to imagine there's a lever off the floorboard. You're going to pin your elbow to the floorboard. All you can move is the front part of your hand. That is the collective. The collective is the power. So the higher you pull it, the more fuel it puts into your engine. And the higher you pull it, the more air speed you get. And the higher you pull it, the more altitude you get. So go ahead and pull some power. Feels good doesn't it? We like our power, right?

So while you're pulling your power, here is what happens to the rest of the helicopter. I'm flying straight like this, and when I pull power, it puts power in the tail. So even though I'm flying straight, my tail does this. So I'm flying straight, and my tail's oh, sorry. [Laughter] My tail is off to the side. Is this aerodynamic? No. So with your feet, independently of each other, and push on your foot pedals to get the aircraft in trim. So go ahead, push the foot pedals. Yeah. All at the same time.

But wait, there's more. Because while you're still doing that, you have a center console of avionic and navigation equipment that you're monitoring to make sure you stay that part tells you who to talk to and where to go. And while you're monitoring that, you have four feet of instrument panel you're scanning, which are your system limits. So even though we're in the air, we do have speed limits. Yup, just no signs. You have to have every single limit on every single gauge memorized.

And while you're monitoring all that, you also have your windows. You have a front window, you have a door window right here, and you have what's called a chin bubble window down here by your feet. In fact, right now I want you to look down at your toes. Because when you lose your engine, that's where you're going to go. [Laughter] Yeah. You're going straight down. There is no glide in a helicopter.

But wait... there's more. Because while you're doing all that, you also have a microphone. Kind of like this one. And you're talking internally to your crew and externally to air traffic control. All at the same time. And if you're sitting there thinking what does that have to do with me? Well, the fact is, every day we're multitasking. Every day the email is dinging and the phone is ringing. And we have to perform. That's what you've done for the last year and eight months, two years, however long it took you to get here, that's what you've done. You've been in the pilot seat.

Oh, you can put your arms down, you look a little tired. You've been in the pilot seat. And there hasn't been autopilot has there? No. So flying a helicopter, well, maybe it is like something else. How many of you like roller coasters, let me see? Who are my roller coaster fans, let me see you. [Sigh] I don't believe you. Because no self respecting roller coaster fan would do one arm. [Laughter] Let me see ya, roller coaster fans. Yeah! Hands in the air, right?

I want you to imagine you're in the front car of a roller coaster and there's no track. You get to decide where it goes, how high, how low, how fast, or how slow, to the right, or to the left, which way it should go. That's what your future is like. It's like flying a helicopter.

So flying a helicopter the first maneuver you must learn is how to hover. Hovering is when you're eight to ten feet off the ground, the wind whips off the rotor system, it comes down underneath the helicopter and it buffers the helicopter, and it makes it aerodynamically unstable. Ever encounter turbulence? Yeah. The helicopter makes its own. And it's unstable. And it's so aerodynamically unstable it's like the bumblebee that shouldn't fly but doesn't know any better and flies off anyway. It's aerodynamically unstable.

And hovering requires a very soft touch on the control. A soft touch is best. But what happens to that soft touch when you have a flight instructor who is screaming at you? Ever have one of those leaders in your life? "You're stupid. You don't deserve to be here. You're wasting my... time." Yeah. I could believe him or I could believe in me. So I showed up because the greatest things in life happen when you show up and you show up for yourself. And that's what you've done haven't you? You've shown up. Yeah. You're in the pilot seat and there's no autopilot. And it doesn't stop today does it? No.

I had eight weeks of an instructor screaming in my ear, trying to fail me. And at the very end, oh, the very end, I ended up with this flight instructor, a substitute who came in and taught me instead of screaming at me. And he taught me one thing to help me hover. Would you like to learn what that one thing is? All right. Raise your right hand up. Now raise it up high. The person next to you won't know your deodorant's worn off. All right, bring your elbow down. With your elbow braced against your ribcage, pivot your hand forward. That's where your cyclic would really be in a helicopter. With your elbow braced against your ribcage how smooth and stable is that wrist? Yeah. He taught me how a create a stable platform. One thing. And I hover today.

WGU has given you that stable platform for your future. It starts here with you in the pilot's seat. Did I teach you how to fly? Was that pretty cool? Yeah? Oh, yeah, practice makes permanent by the way, right? That was part of that. Practice makes permanent, not perfect. Permanent. What you've done is created permanence. Be more intentional. Be more deliberate. And be more focused in why you do what you do. Because everything you do today impacts your tomorrow. Because practice makes ? Permanent. Shift to thinking.

All right, did I teach you how to fly? Yeah. Well what fly really means is to first lead yourself. Because it's that exceptional in life. So few do lead themselves. They're on autopilot. But not you. Not you. When you fly, you will soar. [Applause]

The President of the Cook Group and Cook Medical, Pete Yonkman delivered the Commencement Address at WGU's Commencement in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Transcript of the video:

Dr. Allison Barber: It is now my great pleasure to introduce you to a friend of ours at WGU, Pete Yonkman. Pete is our Keynote Speaker. He is the CEO of Cook Group and Cook Medical in Bloomington, Indiana. Pete has been with the company seventeen years starting off in 2001 as in-house general council. Pete served a variety of roles at Cook including one of the local manufacturing sites as executive vice president for ten years in his business unit. Pete was named president in 2014 and in 2015 and the roll of Cook Group. Pete is a local Hoosier. He wants you to move here too. [laughter] He is originally from Crown Point, Indiana. And graduated from Indiana University with degrees in Psychology and Philosophy went on for his law degree from Indiana University as well. He is very involved in community issues, workforce development, education attainment, fostering startups and creating a business culture that supports entrepreneurs. Pete lives in Bloomington with his wife Janelle who's here today. Thank you, Janelle, for joining us. Pete and Janelle have two boys. I tell you what, when I wrote Pete and asked him if he would speak at commencement, he wrote me back immediately and said "I'd be pleased to." And that is why with all the accomplishment that Pete's had, and all the titles he's held, my favorite is that he is a friend of WGU Indiana. Pete, thank you for being here and welcome.

Pete Yonkman: Good morning. Thank you to President Pulsipher and all the team here at WGU. It's great to be here with you.

All right, we have to get something out of the way. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking three things. Number one, who the hell is this guy? Number two, why is he talking to us? And most importantly, number three, how long is he going to talk? So, I'm going to start with the last one first. I'm not going to talk long. But the reality of it is, you don't have any choice, so you can get comfortable.

So now, for who I am. My name is Pete, and I'm president of Cook Group, Cook Medical. Our headquarters are about an hour south of here in Bloomington, Indiana. We are a global life sciences company of about 12,000 people. And we manufacture medical devices for physicians who are practicing minimally invasive medicine.

And I'm here talking to you today for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I'm here because I believe that the original commencement speaker canceled, and I happened to be available. [Laughter] It's okay. It's okay, I'm not offended. It's okay, because actually the commencement planners got lucky, because I'm actually the perfect person to deliver this speech, and I'll tell you why. It's because I know all of you. All right, I don't know all of you. It would be kind of ridiculous if I knew all of you. We're not even Facebook friends yet.

I'll take it back, I do know one of you. There is actually a Cook employee here today who is getting his MBA. Austin, where are you? Stand up, Austin. [Applause] Round of applause for Austin, congratulations. [Applause]

All right, you may be still thinking, "He doesn't know me though." But actually, I do. I know that at some point you made a very brave, emotionally scary decision to continue your education. You balanced your family obligations, work, school. You studied late into the night, even though you knew you had to get up in the morning, take care of the kids, feed them breakfast, get their homework done, and still make it to school on time. And from what I hear, you passed these online tests with somebody staring you right in the face. [Laughter] And the fact that you're able to do that, damn near makes you a psychopath. [Laughter] It's incredible.

You sat on the couch with your laptop by yourself, and you thought, you know what, I'm not going to make this. And you pushed yourself. You called on energy and emotional reserves that you didn't know you had. And you did all of this because you wanted a degree. But it was more than that. You wanted that next opportunity at work. You wanted to care for people when they're most in need. You wanted to show your friends, your family, and your community how much you had to offer. You wanted to improve your life and your family's life. And some of you did it because you wanted your kids who are here today, to see you walk across this stage and show them what's possible if you're willing to put in the hard work.

And that's who you are. And that's why I have such tremendous respect for each and every one of you. And by choosing WGU, whether you did it consciously or not, you joined a movement that is changing the face of education.

I think we can all agree the world's changing faster today than many of us would've imagined. There are whole sectors of jobs that come and go in a matter of years. Now technologies rise up before we even knew what buttons to press on the old ones. Regulations increase the complexity of our processes and systems. And for God's sakes, when you wake up in the morning, look out, it looks like aliens have invaded and scattered their scooters all across the city. [Laughter]

Now, if you're going to be somebody who is going to survive this modern world, you better be ready to take on new skills, and new ideas and learn throughout your life until you're ready to retire.

It feels like to me the idea of confining our education and learning to our early teens and 20s and then limiting ourselves to studying subjects that some college curriculum committee defines for us, seems a little bit antiquated.

And as employers, we need people with proven skills who are ready to work on the day they start their job. We need people who have competencies that relate directly to the work that needs to be done. And we need people who have proven that they know what they want, and they're willing to work to go out and get it. So from my perspective, what it sounds like what we need is you.

I'm looking around, and I can see a few of you getting antsy. So I'm going to give you a status update on the status of this speech we're halfway done. But I want you to hang in there because I have a unique proposal for you at the end of this speech that I hope you'll consider.

All right, so I expect that you would feel shortchanged if I didn't give you some life advice that every self respecting commencement speaker is required to give. So I'm going to give you three ideas and I want you to pay attention because these are gold. And I don't tell them to just anybody.

So, idea number one: Eat in the cafeteria. See, I told you it's gold, right? Let me explain. So I had the privilege and good fortune to work closely for years with the person who founded our company, his name was Bill Cook. And he was the classic American story. Started a business in the spare bedroom of his apartment and he grew it into the largest privately owned healthcare company in the world. And he lived an outstanding life. It was full of entrepreneurship, and philanthropy, and where I come from, he was a legend. And more than that, he was a wonderful human being. And sadly, he passed away in 2011.

And at his funeral, thousands of people showed up to pay their respects, including almost all of his employees. And I had the opportunity to shake hands with a lot of those opportunities. And it was interesting what they all said. They didn't talk about his money or his businesses or the awards that he won. But they all talked about, it was interesting, almost to a person, that they said was this, "You know, we come into work every day. We work hard. And we go to the cafeteria for lunch. And we see Bill sitting in the cafeteria. And he says, hey, how are ya, how's life, how are the kids? And we absolutely loved him for that because we knew that he cared, and he was one of us."

Now I realize that most of us are not going to have the opportunity to build a multi billion dollar business. But each of us does, every day, have the opportunity to demonstrate to those around us that we care, and that we're all in this together.

Idea number two: Pay attention to how people react to failure. So I've noticed that a lot of commencement speeches talk about failure, how it's fun to fail, fail fast, all that, blah, blah, blah. I'm going to tell you the truth about failure. Do you want to hear the truth? It sucks. [Laughter] But you can get something positive out of it if you do one simple thing: Watch how other people respond to failure.

I learned recently that our engineers at Cook have something they call "the bin of shame." And the bin of shame is where bad products and dumb ideas go to die. And it's considered an honor to put your failure in this bin of shame because it means you took a risk, wanted to try something new. This is a great idea, right? It creates a community where people support each other through failure, and they want to take risks and they want to try new things.

When I was 29, and just a year into my job at Cook, I made a mistake. It was actually a pretty big mistake. In fact, it cost the company a lot of money, and a fair amount of public embarrassment. It was a big enough deal and a big enough mistake that I heard the words, "would you like fries with that," in my future. Any other company, I would've been fired, and a scapegoat.

Instead, Bill came into my office the next day. He said, "Do you know what, bad stuff happens. Look around. We're still here. We get to come in tomorrow and work with people we love. What's so wrong with that?" Now he could've screamed at me, yelled at me, made me feel terrible. Instead, what he did was he chose to be supportive and he refocused me on what was actually truly important. And that's a kindness that I will never forget.

Now I've definitely learned the appropriate lessons from my failure. And so have the engineers at Cook. But I also have learned that the approach you take to failure, and the failure of others is the opportunity to change people's lives.

All right, idea number three: Only fools take themselves too seriously. I was in my office one day, Bill stuck his head in, and this is going to be interesting because Bill never asks for permission, but he said, "I have a question for you, can I come in?" "Well, all right, come on in, Bill."

And he said, "Hey, Pete, I've got this question. And it's not weird or anything, so don't worry. But I'm not happy with my current selection. And I don't know who else to ask. So, what kind of underwear do you wear?" [Laughter] He was dead serious. Not joking. Turns out he was actually studying the various kinds of underwear and their various merits.

And so I said, "Well, have you tried boxer briefs?" He said, "No, why do you like them?" And I said, "Well, if you really want to treat yourself, go out and get a pair, and try it, and see what you think." And you know when you make somebody laugh like genuinely laugh hard and for a long time? That's what happened with Bill. And that is my absolute favorite memory of him. Here is a person who was brilliant, passionate, unbelievably successful. But he was still somebody who could laugh at himself and the ridiculousness of underwear.

I think about that moment a lot, and it makes me wonder what our world would be like if our leaders had the humility to have a good laugh at our own underwear every now and then? I think it would be a better place.

All right, now, you may have noticed those three ideas contained a theme. All of them say something about the company that I work for, Cook. And I hope that what you heard inspired you, and intrigued you to learn more about us. Because I'll admit of being a little bit duplicitous when I included Cook in those stories. I have an ulterior motive.

I've been plugging the company because, well, we're growing, and I'm standing here in front of 800 and some highly talented people with newly printed degrees, and I'm no dummy. [Laughter] In fact, we believe so much in you, and WGU, that I'm excited to tell you that we have opened up ten new jobs. They are to be filled only by the graduates of the 2018 class of WGU. [Applause]

New jobs are located here in Indiana, and also all across the country. They range from jobs in sales to regulatory, to business administration, and they're open only to you. Get ready to write this down. Get your phones out, or whatever you do. CookMedical.com/careers/WGU. Did you get that? All right. It's CookMedical.com I'm going to keep saying it until you write it down. [Chuckles] CookMedical.com/careers/WGU.

I do hope that you will consider joining us at Cook, we'd be proud to have you. But, no matter where you go next, I wish you tremendous success. You have definitely earned it. And if you remember nothing else today, please remember to find beauty in failure, laugh at your underwear, and always, always eat in the cafeteria. Congratulations to you, and to the 2018 graduating class of WGU. Thank you very much. [Applause]

Jay Timmons, the President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers delivered the WGU Commencement Address at WGU's 71st Commencement.

Transcription of video:

WGU President Scott D. Pulsipher: Graduates, families, and friends, it's so great to be with all of you. You truly are an inspiration, not just to us at WGU, but to everyone in your family, and your friends. Thank you so much for achieving this great accomplishment in your lives.

I'm pleased to introduce our commencement speaker today. Jay Timmons is president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, and chairman of the board of the Manufacturing Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers Education and Workforce partner.

The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector. Jay is the leading advocate for more than 12.8 million men and women who make things in America, educating the public and policymakers on issues that affect this critical industry.

He promotes an agenda to strengthen U.S. competitiveness, improve the lives and livelihoods of American manufacturing workers, and build the modern manufacturing workforce. Jay is driven by the values instilled in him by his roots in the manufacturing town of Chillicothe, Ohio where his grandfather worked at a meat plant for nearly four decades, and where he witnessed manufacturing's ability to raise the quality of life for families and communities.

A passionate advocate for the adoption of companion animals, Jay served for seven years as the chairman of the Washington Humane Society board of directors. Jay attended the Ohio State University, and resides in McLean, Virginia with his husband, Rick, and their three children. And it has been my privilege to serve with Jay on the American Workforce Policy Advisor Board over the last few months. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Jay Timmons. [Applause]

Jay Timmons: Well, good morning night owls! Do me a favor: Be rowdy during this. This is your day, and I want you to enjoy it. And I want to extend my congratulations to this graduating class of Western Governors University.

It's a culmination this day is a culmination of your hard work, overcoming doubts, and plowing through roadblocks. You have earned the right to be proud today, and I'll repeat it again: You've earned the right to be rowdy. [Cheers] [applause]

Now, listen, I love that name, "night owls." It sums you up so perfectly. While everybody else was asleep, dreaming, you were hard at work making your dreams a reality.

So President Pulsipher, Chancellor Watts, WGU leadership, and family, and friends gathered here, thank you so much for the chance to celebrate with you all today. Most of all, thank you so much for the opportunity to be back home in Ohio. As the president said, I was born and raised in Chillicothe, and also Circleville, about a hundred miles from here. And I know we have graduates from all across the country, but I'm an Ohio boy, so tell me, who is from Ohio, let's hear it! [Applause] All right!

President Pulsipher gave me a very kind introduction, but some of you are still probably wondering who the heck is this guy? And I think that's a fair question. As President Pulsipher said, I lead the National Association of Manufacturers, and our job is making sure that the people and the elected officials in Washington, D.C. are focused on helping manufacturers here in Ohio, and across America, create new jobs, raise wages and benefits, and invest in our communities. We are the voice, as he said, for the more than 12.8 million men and women who make things in America.

Part of our mission is helping more people join the modern manufacturing workforce. These jobs are a high tech, high paying, and almost half a million jobs in manufacturing are open today. In fact, we're going to have about 4.6 million jobs that we have to fill over the next decade.

A few months ago, the White House and the U.S. Department of Commerce formed the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board. And it's a taskforce to help educate people for the jobs of tomorrow. CEO's of America's top brands are on it. So are some of the most innovative thinkers in education, including, as he indicated, your own President Pulsipher, as I am. And that's how I know him, and I ended up here today. I think it says a lot about the stature of your school that when the White House and the Secretary of Commerce assembled this team, they tapped the president of WGU.

This institution, yeah, that deserves applause. [Applause] Because this institution commands respect at the highest levels of government. By receiving a WGU degree, you will command respect in the job market. This is not your traditional college, and that's what makes it great. Other schools force you to adapt to their demands. This school adapts to your needs. This is a trailblazing institution, and you are trailblazing graduates.

As you heard earlier, nearly 40 percent of you are the first in your family to go to college. So was I. Angie and Rayna are going to share their inspiring journeys to this day. But each of you each and every one of you has your own story. Maybe you were told that you'd never make it. You're working full time, you have kids, how could you possibly get a degree? Maybe you heard it from a co worker, maybe even a friend.

Well you proved them wrong. And many of you set a powerful example for your kids along the way, many of whom we're hearing here, and by the way I love that sound. Keep these kids focused on this activity, and show them what the future is all about. Because it wasn't easy for any of you. Life life has a way of interrupting our plans.

I should know, I did attend the Ohio State University. And then life interrupted. I never finished my degree. And back then, [chuckles] there was no such thing as the Internet. And I didn't have the opportunity to participate in this type of non traditional academic setting. So by the way, there's another accomplishment: You're more credentialed than your commencement speaker today.

Any employer is going to be lucky to have you, and you're fortunate to be graduating into one of the strongest job markets in generations. Do you realize that right now, there are actually more job openings in America than people looking for jobs? That is going inert to your benefit. If you're looking, I do hope that you will look at manufacturing. We need people. We need IT people. I think we have some IT grads here today? [Applause]

We need IT experts with robotics and artificial intelligence. Modern manufacturing is synonymous with connected technology.

We need business minds because we're growing, hiring, and expanding. And we need young people educated in STEM. To we have future STEM educators with us here today? [Applause] Yeah, come on, come on, I know you're there. The educators are always, you know, they're just you withhold your emotion. You can't do that here. [Chuckles]

When you're teaching science and math, the future of manufacturing, it's the backbone of the American economy, and it's in your hands. So thank you, and thank you WGU for being a top producer of STEM teachers.

Whatever your career path, you are positioned for success. And I know that because you've proven that you don't let others put limits on you. So keep it up. Don't let anybody put you in a box. Break the mold. Neither your past, nor other people determine your future.

I mean, I'm an Ohio farm boy. Now I go to policy meetings at the White House. And I've got to tell ya, shoveling manure in a barn, and working in Washington, D.C., they don't have much in common. [Laughter] Maybe just a little.

Today I lead meetings with CEOs in boardrooms. But if you asked a classmate what I was like in high school, well, you'd probably hear, "Dork," or "nerd." I was actually so cool that I carried a briefcase through the halls when I was 15 years old. [Laughter]

Now, trust me, in high school that does not make people picture you sitting in a boardroom. Kind of makes people picture you jammed into a locker. My point is, I don't fit into anybody's box. For the record, I didn't fit into that locker either.

When I was just 31 years old, the governor of Virginia asked me to be his chief of staff, which meant leading people more than twice my age. Cabinet officials were walking into the office and they wondered if I was the chief or if it was bring your kids to work day. I didn't fit the mold.

Today, I'm married to a great guy named Rick. We have three beautiful kids. But some people still look twice at our family because, again, we don't fit into their box. In life, and work, there will always be doubters, and self doubt. But you are already mold breaking leaders. You've defied the naysayers, so keep celebrating your own story. Own it. Use it for good, and be your authentic selves.

Now commencement speakers are supposed to offer inspiration for the graduates. But as I look around, and I see all of you, and I see those of you who have served in our military, or who are serving, when I see somebody who has adopted our country, singing our national anthem, I am so inspired by all of you. And all I can say is: Keep it up.

I will, however, ask you to do two things after you leave here today. First, remember this feeling, this feeling of accomplishment. The future's going to bring more challenges, there's no doubt about that. Don't let fear or self doubt hold you back. You've seen what you're capable of. Remember what success feels like and let it power you. Let it power you through the tough times.

Second, be the difference maker for someone else. Pay it forward. There was somebody in your life who encouraged you along this journey. Maybe a parent, a spouse, a friend, your WGU mentor, or maybe that still, small voice that scripture speaks of. Thank them today and be a source of support when they or somebody else also needs it.

And finally, channel your talent for the good of this country. We live in an exceptional nation. A nation founded by people who also, who also dared to think differently. But our nation will only have a bright future if leaders like you make it so.

Today we're being tested from the outside and from within. Other countries are challenging our leadership. At home, there are forces that are dividing us. And there are Americans, there are Americans who feel that no matter what, they just can't get ahead. We must do better. Businesses, government, and engaged leaders just like you. You affect what happens in Washington with your voice, and with your votes. And America needs you to stand strong for the values that make America exceptional, free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty, and equal opportunity.

From public corporations to private citizens, we can't just be in it for ourselves. Our society is stronger when it's about more than bottom lines and bank accounts. America needs all of us, all of us to heal the divisions in our society, and uphold those core values. This country is at its best when we think innovatively. Who better than students of this trailblazing institution to lead the way?

So ladies and gentlemen, I leave you are those three simple requests: Remember what success feels like, be a difference maker for someone, be engaged citizens. And if you maintain the work ethic that brought you this far, there is no doubt you will have successful and rewarding careers. You will keep making your friends and your family proud, and night owls, you will soar above the competition.

The saying goes, "The early bird catches the worm." But you know who catches the early bird? The night owls. Congratulations graduates! [Applause]

WGU Commencement in Salt Lake City, UT on August 3, 2019. All-Time "Jeopardy!" Champion Ken Jennings delivered the WGU Master's Commencement Address.

Transcription of video:

Scott D. Pulsipher: I'm now pleased to introduce our commencement speaker, Ken Jennings. Ken Jennings is an author, a computer scientist, and a record breaking gameshow champion, gaining hero status in 2004 when he won 74 games and $2.52 million on "Jeopardy!" [Applause] And we learned that that record nearly got beat recently, but he still holds it.

Today, Ken writes a weekly quiz based on the previous week's news on Slate, and publishes Connections trivia puzzle online and in Parade. He has co invented the trivia games: "Can You Beat Ken?" and "Quizology" and has published three books: "Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious Competitive Compulsive Word of Trivia Buffs," "Map Head: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks", and "Because I Said So: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales, and Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids."

He lives in Seattle with his wife, Mindy, his son Dylan, and daughter, Katelyn, and a small, excitable dog named Chance. Please welcome, the Michael Jordan of trivia, Mr. Ken Jennings. [Applause]

Ken Jennings: Thank you, Scott. I feel like you shouldn't even mention Michael Jordan in this building. Am I wrong? Karl Malone of trivia, maybe. Good morning, everybody, how do you feel? [Cheers] Have you guys ever had one of those dreams where everyone's wearing the same outfit except you? I'm like having that in real life for the first time right now.

Well, I'm glad you're excited. You should be excited. You have done something remarkable today. In earning this degree, you have transformed yourself in a way. You have reinvented yourself, and in many cases you've done it against long odds, at great personal cost, and with great personal sacrifice. Sure, you had the resources of this unique and unconventional university. You had the support of your devoted faculty mentors. I hope you had your own support system as well pulling you through family, friends, loved ones. Let's pause one more time to congratulate them as well. I know a lot of them are here today. Please remember to thank them today, they are so proud of you. [applause] You guys are going to get clapped for many times today, you'd better get used to it.

But listen, reinvention it's hard. It's not just that it takes a lot of hard work to turn yourself into a new person with new abilities – as you all have done but it does. It also takes courage. Sacrificing and stretching to trade in one life, one viewpoint of yourself in for another, that's scary. I want to talk to you a little bit today about reinvention, just to put your accomplishment in perspective.

Here is my own reinvention story. In 2004 I was a fairly unhappy computer programmer living right here in beautiful Salt Lake City. Actually, 15 minutes south of here in Murray. Wow, Murray in the house? [Chuckles] For those of you don't know, Murray is pretty much the same as Salt Lake City, people are a little older and the Costco is a little bigger. That's about the only difference.

So why was I unhappy in 2004 in Murray? It was my own damn fault. As far back as I can remember, the main thing that I was good at was knowing stuff. Koala fingerprints are pretty much identical to human ones. The real name of "The Skipper" on "Gilligan's Island" is Jonas Grumby. The longest word ever to name a billboard number one hit? "Bootylicious." Utah is the only U.S. state with an official state cooking pot. Does anybody know what that is by the way? Well everybody knows, the Dutch oven, that is correct. You guys have control of the board. [laughter] And if you are from Utah, and you did not know your official state cooking pot, shame on you! [Laughter] What kind of a citizen are you? Now you know.

As a kid, as this kind of weird kid, I would run home every day from the school bus in time to watch "Jeopardy!" which came on at 4 o'clock where I lived. I never missed "Jeopardy!" But I never took that obsession with knowing stuff all that seriously. I certainly never had a guidance counselor tell me that it was a career.

So in college I studied English. I liked to write, and I liked to teach. I hoped maybe I'd be a writer or an English teacher someday. But then the spring that I graduated, I got engaged. And then I got worried. Those are often two things that go together, by the way, as you may know. I was worried that I was not going to be able to support a family doing what I loved, on this vague idea of maybe being a writer or a teacher. A friend told me a joke, "What's the difference between an English major and a large, pepperoni pizza? At least the pizza can feed a family of four." [Laughter] I know, right?! Don't tell your friend that.

So the whole enterprise started to seem a little bit shaky. Instead, I Went to work for a friend's little Internet start-up, as was the style at the time, this was the year 2000, as a computer programmer. And as it turned out, there were only two problems with this. Number one, I didn't enjoy computer programming, and number two, I was not any good at computer programming. I'll bet there are people her today graduating with Computer degrees. Am I right, anyone? Computer degrees? Make some noise. See, any one of you people could've had my job because I was terrible at it.

You can probably see, sitting there from your comfy seats, what I had done wrong. I had made a bad decision out of fear. I was afraid that the things that I was good at, the things that I loved weren't good enough because they didn't seem safe. Or they didn't seem easy. I hadn't believed in myself.

Last night I emailed my wife, Mindy, and I asked her if she remembered some of the ideas that I had been throwing around, around this time, to try to figure out my life and start over. She sent me this list.

Number one: Quit my job, become a free lance web designer. Number two: Take the foreign service exam, join the State Department, move to Romania or someplace like that, stamp visas in a U.S. embassy. Number three: Start a business painting murals for elementary schools and children's bedrooms. I didn't even remember that one. Number four: Apply to law school. Wow, you can see how desperate I was, right? So I was all over the place. At the end of the list, by the way, at the end of the list she wrote, "The funny thing is, you never did anything about any of them, you just complained." [Laughter] Thank you, honey, I appreciate that. That's very helpful. She's not wrong though. I did not actually do any of those things.

As it turned out, spoiler warning, I lucked out. On a whim, one weekend I drove down here from here in Salt Lake, all the way to LA with a friend, and tried out for "Jeopardy!" We both passed the test. We were so happy. A year later I was sitting at work, and the phone rang. "Ken, this is Bob at 'Jeopardy!' We want you to come be a contestant on the show in three weeks." Three weeks? He added, "Oh," and the last thing he said on the call was, "Oh, by the way, you know about our recent rule change, right?"

Now I was a 30-year-old dad with young kids. I was not watching "Jeopardy!" every night. In college, you watch "Jeopardy!" As a kid you watch "Jeopardy!" And you hit a certain age in America, and then your start planning your evening around "Jeopardy!" and "Wheel." maybe you guys have parents or grandparents that you cannot call during the "Wheel/Jeopardy!" block. But, as a young, harried dad, I had not watched "Jeopardy!" in years. But I didn't want to say that. So I said, "Why don't you tell me which rule change you're talking about, and I'll tell you if I know about it." [Laughter]

He said, "We used to retire champions after they won five games. But now you can just keep playing until you lose." Here is what I said, "Okay, Bob, thanks. I'll make a note of that." But here's what I thought, "Like who cares? What are the odds that this rule change is going to affect me?" But of course it did. That tiny rule change, which they had happened to make just a few months earlier, coincidently turned out to be the thing that changed my life.

Now I write and I speak, and I know about stuff full-time. That's my job, and I couldn't be happier. But it wasn't the plan. It was a game show of all things. I got lucky. Not you, my friends, you had a plan. You were smarter than me. You could win on "Jeopardy!" 76 times, I think. You got to a point in your life where you wanted something better. You thought, "You know what, there is something I can be excellent at, and I'm not there yet." And you figured out how to get there. You did the work. Here you are! That's how I know you're going to go on to do great things.

Scott Fitzgerald once said, "There are no second acts in American lives." But I know for a fact that he's wrong because I'm in my second act. And after today, so are all of you. There are between 50 and 75 trillion cells in the human body. And over time, each one gradually gets replaced. The lining of your stomach and intestines regenerates every four days. Skin cells live for two or three weeks. Blood cells live between four months and about a year. Even skeletal muscle cells get replaced after 15 years. That's the warranty on your bicep.

What this means is that you are, at a cellular level, an almost entirely different person than you were 10 or 20 years ago. The you sitting in your seat today is, on average, about seven years old. Your body will be keep re creating itself as long as you live. So reinvention is not a one time event. Likewise, we are all of us, works in progress. There are moments ahead of all of us where our situations will change, our fields will change, the world will change, and we will have to change with it. We will have to adapt.

Reinventing yourself time and time again, over the course of a lifetime is not easy unless you're Bob Dylan or Madonna. For the rest of us, it's very easy to get set in your ways, to do what everyone is doing, to do what worked last time, to do what seems easy and comfortable. But you have to fight that because we don't live in a world anymore where there's one default path to American middle class security, like there used to be. it used to be you get into college, you do what you're told, and somehow it all works out, you're set for life. But work isn't like that anymore. Today there isn't a one size fits all solution. You have to figure out what you can do well and then keep creating niches where you are indispensable. Your story will be different from anyone else's. You will start a new path where there are no footsteps and you'll keep blazing that trail.

Here is what I learned about reinventing from my own experience. If you remember anything I say today, and based on my memories of commencement speeches past, I think those odds are not great. But if you remember any of this, please remember what I'm about to say now. First, obsession is destiny. The thing that keeps you up late every night and gets you out of bed every morning, make that the center of your life, and the focus of your goals. For you it's probably not "Jeopardy!" That's okay. Your rule of thumb should be: How much time did I spend today doing the thing that I'm best at? The thing you love, and the talents that you have are sacred things. Take them seriously.

Secondly, education is power. The things that you know and the skills that you've mastered are what makes you you. Because we are all the sum of the things that we've learned. And that education doesn't stop just because the bell rings at the end of a class or a diploma gets handed out at a commencement. We should keep learning something new every hour of every day for our entire lives. And you do it just by paying attention. That is the secret. The one thing I've noticed about every "Jeopardy!" champion is they're not weirdoes sitting at home memorizing the encyclopedia. Maybe a few of them are. But for the most part, they're just curious, normal people, but they're curious about everything. They pay attention.

Third, and finally, time is short. When you make a course correction a few decades into your life like I did, like maybe some of you did, you become so aware of how precious every day is. There is no time to waste, there is so much good work to be done. What's the meaning of life? Why are we here? We are here to go. So go! Go forth! The world needs you. Change the world. Thank you so much, everybody, congrats again. [Cheers and applause]

WGU Commencement in Austin, Texas on October 12, 2019. Founding Director for the Center for Sports Leadership & Innovation, Daron K. Roberts delivered the WGU Bachelor's Commencement Address.

Transcription of video:

Steve Johnson: Now, it's my pleasure to introduce Daron Roberts. Daron is a former NFL coach, and author of Call an Audible. He is the founding director of the Center for Sports Leadership and Innovation here at the University of Texas. The center is the first university based institute dedicated to developing leadership and character curricula for high school, collegiate, and professional athletes.

Through the center, Roberts teaches a course: A Game Plan for Winning at Life, to incoming freshman student athletes. Roberts holds a faculty appointment in the Liberal Arts Honors Program. He has received a Silver Spur Centennial Teaching Award, and the Creative Engagement Award. And he was named a distinguished faculty member by the School of Undergraduate Studies in 2015. His research revolved around the issues of rejection, failure management, and leadership.

He's been featured in ESPN the magazine, Bloomberg, Business Week, and Sports Illustrated. His articles have appeared in the Dallas Morning News, Fortune, the Houston Chronicle, and Time magazine. Roberts is also the host of an industry leading podcast, A Tribe Called Yes. And you can access that on iTunes and Stitcher. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Daron Roberts. [Applause]

Daron K. Roberts: All right, graduates, stand up. I know you're cozy, I don't care. All right, I want you to turn around, look up in the rafters. I want you to blow a kiss to all of the friends, and the abuelas, and the cousins, and moms and pops. [Cheers] We can't have enough gratitude, so thank you so much. Oh, look at the love. You can have a seat now, get this going. [Cheers] This is a rowdy group, I love it!

So all of those people up there, they were with you during late nights, they brought you menudo and Whataburger. [Laughter] And now you're here. I grew up in the piney woods of East Texas. [Cheers] Here we go, we got some east Texans here. I'm a fifth generation East Texan. At the age of six my dad takes out a map of Panola County which is where we grew up. And there's a plot of land. The map was drawn in 1870. A plot of land has 160 acres and it's owned by Bill Roberts.

Bill Roberts was my great great grandfather. And in my family, it is still a mystery how this black man in east Texas, five years removed from the end of the Civil War, found some way to accumulate 160 acres. But I remember at the age of six, my dad turned to me and he would point to the map, and he would point to me, and he would say, "We don't know how Bill Roberts got this land, but I can tell you one thing, he didn't get it from sleeping in."

So with that, I set a goal for myself to become the governor of Texas by age 40. Ask me how old I'll be in a month. Okay, thank you, I'll tell you, 41. [Laughter] So obviously I took a wrong turn somewhere. I went to the school across the street in 1997. It was a campus of 50,000 students, I was from a small town of 12,291. I graduate and I apply to Harvard Law School. I didn't get accepted, didn't get rejected, what's in the middle? The dreaded wait list, dum, dum, dum!

I'll paraphrase for you, here is how the letter read. "Dear, Daron, we like you. Unfortunately, we like so many more people more than we like you. [Laughter] Now, Daron, in the highly unlikely event that all of those individuals turn us down, we may reach back out to you. But Daron, if you have any viable options for law school, we highly advise you to take them. With love, Joyce P. Kerl, Dean of Admissions."

So I was devastated. I walked around for three days in sackcloth and ashes. Worked in D.C. I reapplied each year. For four straight years I was wait listed. And I'll tell you just how lazy the admissions committee was. It was as if they printed the exact same letter, just changed the date at the top, and mailed it to me.

My mom calls me, elementary school principal, Mount Pleasant, Texas, she calls me, and she says, "Daron, you know I love you, don't you?" Now listen, side note, if you're in a relationship, and the conversation begins with your partner telling you, "You know I love you..." there's a good chance this isn't going to end the right way. I said, "Yeah, Mom, I know you love me, you know, cared for me, gave birth, all those things." She said, "Well, Daron, I don't know how to say this, but... I don't think Harvard wants you." I said, "Ooh! Whoo!" [Laughter] Deathblow.

I said, "Mom, you know, I go to your elementary school, and you walk through the hallways, and you see these signs like, reach for the stars, and keep your face to the sunshine." I said, "What about all that?" She said, "Yeah, honey, that's for young people." [Laughter] "You're old now." I was 26 at the time, mind you. I said, "Well I'm going to give it one more shot." So I finally get in to my dream school. I am going through the motions in law school, and then I work a football camp before my third year of school. And listen, the volunteers ask for someone to fill in. It was the best three days of my life. I was coaching 60 6th graders, none of whom had any athletic talent whatsoever. Luckily they had a coach who had no coaching abilities at all. [Laughter] We were a match made in heaven.

But I noticed something. For the first time in my life, I did not have to set my alarm clock to get up. For three days of this camp, I was up before the crack of dawn, excited to hit the field. And so when I went back to Boston for my last year of school, I called Mom again, and I said, "Mom, I want to be a football coach. I'm excited." My mom says, "Let me put your dad on the phone." [Laughter] Enter Reverend Kurt Roberts, 42 years, Baptist minister, Mount Olive Baptist Church.

Dad: "What is this about you wanting to be a football coach?" Daron: "Yeah, Dad, I worked this camp " he said, "Yeah, whatever." Dad: "Son, do you know how much debt you're in?" [Laughter] So let me tell you, graduates, I had racked up a quarter of a million dollars in debt between... whoo! Yeah, whoo! Is right. Between grad school, and law school. And the deal was, when I was in high school, my parents would pay for undergrad, but I was on the hook for grad and law school. And I said, "Well, Dad, you know, I got a " I was fortunate to get a full scholarship to go to undergrad. "And so by my very crude accounting... it appears you and Mom owe me around $68,422.64." [Laughter]

So my dad, being a minister that he is, he says, "Well, son, let's pray." So we bow over the phone. He hangs up, I still haven't seen a check. [Laughter] I decided I wanted to be a coach. I wrote a letter to every team in the NFL. There are 32. Got 31 rejections. Dallas Cowboys, no. Houston Texans, no. New England Patriots, no. The Kansas City Chiefs, yes! [Cheers] There are always random Chiefs fans in any crowd. [Laughter] Coach Herm Edwards calls me and he says, "This is Herm Edwards, may I please speak with Daron Roberts?" "Yes, sir, this is he." He said, "Son, what's wrong with you? [Laughter] I read your cover letter, and you're in law school." He said, "Are you sure?" I said, "Coach, I worked this camp, and I know this is the path for me."

He said, "Listen, son, take out a piece of paper, I want you to write this down. We're going to hire you as a training camp intern." So "training camp intern." "No pay." Okay, "no pay." "No benefits." Only gets better, "no benefits." [Laughter] He says, "You're going to be working 18 hour days." Oh. So the lawyer side of me is thinking this sounds like some kind of employment claim, right? 18 hour days, no pay, no benefits. But I said, "Sign me up."

I did that for a season, I slept in Arrowhead in a deserted room for six months because I wanted to be the first face that Herm Edwards saw. At the end of the season, he hired me on full time, and I spent seven years coaching. And then returned back to UT to teach classes on leadership.

I think about your journey and so many of you have pushed through the naysayers and the doubters, people on social media, right? Everyone has an opinion on what you should do with your life. But all of you carved out the time and the energy and the grit to push forward to this very moment.

I have three thoughts for you as you launch into this next phase of your expedition. Number one, and don't be alarmed, we will die. Okay, not today. All of us will die. Time is a finite resource. You hear people say, "I have time, I have time, I have time." It is a finite resource. And at some point the clock will run out for all of us. I want you to keep pushing forward. This achievement that you have reached, this won't be the high watermark in your life. I want you to bring to every single day that you are able to wake up, to open your eyes, and to move forward. To bring an intentionality and a sense of purpose to all that you do because time waits for none of us.

Number two, hope is not a strategy. All right, hope is not a strategy. My grandmother would always put it like this to me, she said, "Daron, you know, prayers are great, but at some point you have to put some feet on your prayers. You have to put some feet on your prayers." Listen, life favors the people who stay in motion. Hope is a beautiful thing, it keeps our face towards the sunshine, but action is the thing that keeps us alive. So all of those things that you've been thinking about doing: Opening up the LLC, starting the non profit, right, taking on a leadership position in your community. All of those things that you've been thinking about and putting off into the future, put them into the present tense.

We're living in an age where there are no more excuses. So a 97 year old man, the University of Texas, just won the Noble Prize for chemistry. And a 16 year old girl from Sweden just held her own against the United Nations. [Applause] This is your time, regardless of age, regardless of what neighborhood you're from. This is your time to realize all of the goals that you've had in your life, so let's watch for it, and move to that end.

And finally, stay in the deep end. Stay in the deep end. At some point all of you decided that you wanted more, and I'm sure you heard a million reasons for why you should not pursue this degree. You're too old. You don't have enough money. You have a good job. And you did it anyway. You pushed past all of the commentary that was trying to hold you back, and you said, I'm going to do this for me. I want you to hold onto that grit. Because in 2019, the barriers to entry have become exceedingly low. No office? WeWork. No Wi Fi? Starbucks. No contacts? LinkedIn. No skills? YouTube. [Laughter] No degree? WGU. [Cheers and applause]

In 1857, Fredrick Douglas was staring as a country that was at war with itself, and this man was no stranger to waging war against the status quo. At a very early age he took on the identity of a naval officer and found his way to freedom in the North. And so facing this imminent battle in the country, he penned these words. He said, "The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all absorbing. And for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must it must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle, there is no progress." If there is no struggle, there is no progress. If there is no struggle, graduates, there is no progress. Stay in the deep end. Thank you. [Cheers and applause]