Greetings everyone....thank you for the introduction. I myself am just one of our many undergraduates, joined by our master students and PhD candidates. We also have a plethora of friends and family and faculty – and that’s where I’d like to start. As you might know, tomorrow is Mothers Day. And I think it never can be mentioned too much, the sheer power and support one gets from those who care about us, who help to keep us motivated when things get tough and ultimately help us to succeed. We’re each here through a lot of personal effort, but underneath that we’ve each had individuals in our lives who have helped us get through when things get tough. So, I hope my fellow graduating engineers will join me in saying thank you, to all the mothers, fathers, family, friends and supporters who have been with us throughout our lives and some of which are with us here today

[So uh … no excuses to forget a card tomorrow guys]

We came here four years ago to understand science and technology. We went through much. Late nights in Bell Computer Lab, the midnight Mighty Taco runs… before heading back to Bell Computer lab. The stress of statics homework three nights a week, of structures or soils, mechanics of solids, thermodynamics, circuits, microprocessors, electronics [stop list whenever feels right].

We survived the prerequisite all–nighters, and we stand here today about to receive our degrees. Ready to take what we’ve learned and apply it at a new level – but most importantly to take the fact that we now know HOW to learn, and to apply THAT.

The truth is it’s scary moving on to a new step. For those going on to graduate work, new challenges will bring new knowledge and specialties. For those going into industry, we will now use our skills and knowledge to create meaningful value for a company and for society. This in itself is scary. Yes, we have skills – but we’ve also seen enough to realize how much there is that we don’t know. I’m graduating with a degree in electrical engineering, and if I had to design the control system for a space shuttle leaving for Mars… let’s say sometime tomorrow, I’d be a little worried. But I know the process I would use to figure it out. I know that I would talk to engineers who had worked on similar projects in the past, I would look at legacy documents, I would brush up on any facts that might be relevant and, in time, I would work to find a solution. This is the value of our education, and it is this that enables us to move on with confidence despite the fact that there is much we do not know. So, as you graduate, be confident in yourself, confident in your ability. I have the great fortune of knowing many of the individuals graduating tonight, and I can say truthfully that I have great faith in our future accomplishments.

My second thought comes from a story I heard last summer while I was working for General Electric in Erie, PA. The story was from a Harvard Case Study, and talked about employees who "truly get ahead." In this report, two employees were discussed. One came in early and worked all day. He finished his assignments as quickly and accurately as possible, and was soon noticed for his speed and dedication. His manager knew of his qualities, and thus gave him more assignments, harder assignments. This employee got much done, and felt very satisfied as he was sure that he would soon be promoted. The second employee came in and worked hard. He did his assignments, but after he got them done he took the time to talk to those around him. He would learn the birthdays of other employees; learn about their families and about their jobs. Thus, over time, he learned the "inner workings" of the organization; he knew who did what, who had trouble with whom and where the "blind spots" inside the company might be. Although he was new, he was able to point out one or two of these "blind spots" to his boss, and in time, he found himself being called upon to sit in on meetings with upper level management to discuss how to improve the organization as a whole. This employee didn’t need to worry about advancement. He was making the company better around him – and he quickly became one of the most valued members of the team. When there was a job opening above him, he was next in line.

I’d like to encourage each of us to aim to be that second employee. Whether we’re in the field, at a research university, or even pursuing a new profession in a different sector. What was his secret? It was to listen. Some of the best advice I ever received was this: "never know what you are going to say before the other person finishes talking. If you know too soon, you’ve stopped listening." And once you’re done listening, do something with what you’ve heard. Look to solve the problems that everyone else just complains about. After all, solving problems is what we engineers [sorta] do best.

My last thought for tonight is for those who don’t have that job lined up just yet, or don’t know exactly what’s next. I’d like to encourage you to take a step back these next few weeks and really think about where it is you want to go. Yes, it’s stressful graduating without a game–plan. You learn, you find a job, you do that job. But there’s more to life than that. And in a way, it’s almost a gift to be able to stop and look at all the options. To go to where you want to go because you want to be there, not because it’s the job offering that just happened to work out. So keep with it, keep your head held high and you can make it happen.

Thank you for listening, and for the honor of speaking. Graduates – we have the technical background, and the ability to learn what we need to know when we need to know it. Let’s use it to make the places we go the best we can. Or, in the words of Bill Nye when he came here last year… to “change the world.” Cliché yes, but I happen to like it.

Thank you.