PRESIDENT HURD, BOARD MEMBERS, FACULTY, AND STAFF, GRADUATES, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

IT IS MY GREAT PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND BE A PART OF TONIGHT’S PROGRAM. GIVING COMMENCEMENT SPEECHES IS PROBABLY THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF MY JOB—THERE IS NO BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO CAST ASIDE DAY TO DAY ROUTINE AND TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER--IDEALISM, AND HOPE, AND A BETTER TOMORROW, WHICH IS WHAT ALL THESE GRADUATES ARE WORKING TOWARD. TODAY IS THE CULMINATION OF MANY YEARS OF HARD WORK, DEDICATION, AND SACRIFICE. IT IS A DAY OF CELEBRATION, ANTICIPATION, AND PHOTOGRAPHS. IT IS A DAY TO HONOR THE ACHIEVEMENT YOU HAVE MADE AND TO HONOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HELPED YOU TO GET HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SHARE IN THIS SPECIAL OCCASION.

AND I’LL MAKE YOU A PROMISE AT THE START: THIS WILL NOT BE THE LONGEST COMMENCEMENT SPEECH EVER GIVEN. THAT DUBIOUS DISTINCTION BELONGS TO A COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER AT HARVARD DURING THE EARLY 19TH CENTURY. THE SPEECH WAS SIX HOURS LONG. HALF WAS DELIVERED IN LATIN; THE OTHER HALF IN GREEK. AFTERWARDS THE GRADUATES WERE TESTED. I WILL SPEAK ONLY IN ENGLISH AND I WON’T TEST YOU LATER.

WHAT I WILL DO, HOWEVER, FOR THE NEXT FEW MINUTES, IS TO ASK YOU TO REFLECT ON YOUR EDUCATION AND WHAT IT MEANS NOT ONLY TO YOU, BUT TO YOUR COMMUNITY. EDUCATION IS A POWERFUL TOOL. YOUR EDUCATION HAS PUT YOU IN A POSITION TO INSPIRE AND LEAD THOSE IN YOUR COMMUNITY—FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.

EDUCATION IS ALSO A PRIVILEGE. AND WITH GREAT PRIVILEGE COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. HOW YOU MEET THAT RESPONSIBILITY WILL DETERMINE WHETHER AND HOW YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL AND WHETHER AND HOW YOU MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

THIS IS YOUR COMMENCEMENT. COMMENCEMENT MARKS BOTH AN END AND A BEGINNING. IT IS A CELEBRATION OF COMPLETION, AS OF TODAY, YOU’VE COMPLETED YOUR CLASSROOM STUDIES. BUT ALSO, AS OF TODAY, IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO TAKE YOUR NEW PLACE IN OUR LARGER SOCIETY.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD. WE NEED YOU. BELIEVE ME—I WORK IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY IN SACRAMENTO—I KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OUR WORLD NEEDS. WE NEED YOUR CREATIVITY, YOUR ENTHUSIASM, YOUR ENERGY, YOUR FRESH IDEAS, YOUR COMMITMENT TO A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US.

YOU MUST BEGIN TODAY TO PREPARE YOURSELVES TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGES OF THIS WORLD. YOU’VE MET MANY CHALLENGES ALREADY, JUST TO GET TO THIS DAY. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS READ THE PAPER OR LISTEN TO THE NEWS AND YOU HEAR DAILY OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACE—IN THE BUSINESS WORLD AND IN THE POLITICAL WORLD. ENRON, TYCO, WORLDCOM, TO NAME JUST A FEW. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST ON THE PART OF OUR ELECTED LEADERS. THESE ARE FAILURES OF TRUST AND OF ETHICS. THESE ARE CRISES OF CHARACTER AND OF LEADERSHIP. THEY OCCUR NOT JUST AS SINGLE, OBVIOUS EVENTS, BUT OFTEN AS A RESULT OF SMALL DECISIONS AND INCREMENTAL ACTS THAT ULTIMATELY LEAD PEOPLE IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. AND IN LARGE WAYS AND SMALL, YOU WILL FACE SIMILAR CRISES AND CHALLENGES THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREERS.

SO, HOW DO YOU PREPARE AND EQUIP YOURSELVES TO MEET THEM? WELL, SINCE I’M THE SPEAKER AND I HAVE THE PODIUM, I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE OF MY OWN ADVICE. THESE ARE THE RULES I LIVE BY AND I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT IN SOME SMALL WAY THEY WILL HELP YOU AS YOU TAKE ON THE RESPONSBILITIES OF LEADERSHIP.

FIRST: WHEN YOU GET UP IN THE MORNING, LOOK YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR. NO, I DON’T MEAN DO YOUR HAIR AND YOUR MAKE UP. I MEAN, TAKE STOCK OF YOURSELF, THE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE AND THE DECISIONS YOU HAVE MADE AND WHAT YOU INTEND TO DO THAT DAY. I’M OFTEN ASKED BY NEWLY ELECTED OR APPOINTED OFFICIALS, HOW DO YOU MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS? MY ANSWER IS—KNOW YOURSELF. DEFINE YOUR VALUES CLEARLY. AND EVERYTIME YOU FACE A DECISION, ASK YOURSELF, WHAT IS THE HIGHEST VALUE I HOLD IN THIS SITUATION? DEFINE YOUR HIGHEST VALUE, THE GREATEST VIRTUE IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION, AND THE ANSWER BECOMES CLEAR. IF YOU LIVE BY THIS RULE, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO LOOK YOURSELF IN THE MIRROR AND SAY YOU DID THE RIGHT THING.

SECOND: TO QUOTE ABRAHAM LINCOLN : “WHATEVER YOU ARE, BE A GOOD ONE.” IN OTHER WORDS, SET YOUR STANDARDS HIGH AND LIVE UP TO THEM. YOUR GRADUATING HERE TODAY SHOWS YOU ALREADY HAVE HIGH STANDARDS AND CAN MEET THEM.

YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHERE YOU GO FROM HERE, OR, YOU MAY HAVE YOUR LIFE ALL PLANNED OUT. IT DOESN’T MATTER SO MUCH WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO, WHAT JOB YOU FINALLY LAND IN, OR WHERE YOU PUT DOWN YOUR ROOTS—WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND YOU GIVE IT YOUR VERY BEST.

THIRD: SHOW UP. ACCORDING TO WOODY ALLEN, 90% OF SUCCESS IS JUST SHOWING UP. IF YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT, THIS MAKES SENSE. IF YOU DON’T SHOW UP, YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS. IN OTHER WORDS, GIVE YOURSELF A CHANCE TO SUCCEED.

FOURTH: RISK FAILURE. YOU CAN SUCCEED ONLY BY BEING WILLING TO FAIL. IF YOU AREN’T WILLING TO RISK FAILURE, THAT MEANS YOU WON’T TRY AT ALL BECAUSE EVERY NEW THING YOU DO CARRIES AN ELEMENT OF RISK. OBSTACLES ARE THOSE THINGS YOU SEE WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR EYE OFF YOUR GOAL. IF YOU NEVER TAKE YOUR EYE OFF YOUR GOAL, YOU WON’T LET THE OBSTACLES STOP YOU.

FIFTH: REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN OFTEN DO THE GREATEST GOOD BY DOING THE SMALLEST FAVOR FOR THE MOST HUMBLE PERSON. IT’S THE SMALL THINGS IN LIFE THAT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR MOST OF US. DON’T LOOK DOWN ON ANYONE UNLESS YOU ARE HELPING THEM UP—AND DO MAKE A PRACTICE OF HELPING OTHERS UP.

FINALLY: LEAVE THE WORLD A LITTLE BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT, EVEN IN SOME SMALL WAY. MOST OF US CAN’T CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR OWN LITTLE CORNER OF THE WORLD. AND THAT’S YOUR JOB, STARTING TODAY, TO MAKE THIS WORLD AND YOUR CORNER OF IT, A BETTER PLACE.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2005 AND GOOD LUCK IN ALL YOU DO.