‘Tis the season for gowns and tassels, for pomp and circumstance. Yes, it is that time of year when students are acknowledged for their accomplishments and given a gentle shove toward the next stage of their lives.
More than 6,000 high school students throughout Clark County will go through commencement exercises in the coming weeks. Washington State University Vancouver conferred degrees upon more than 1,000 graduates a couple weeks ago, and Clark College will honor its graduates later this month. Even eighth-graders and preschoolers these days often are party to commencement exercises, recognizing a demarcation point in their development.
While graduation ceremonies typically are accompanied by words expected to be profound and inspiring, we confess to being ill-equipped to deliver a message of encouragement that will change the lives of this year’s graduates. Instead, we rely upon the internet and the many thoughtful exhortations that can be found in commencement speeches of the past. So, to this year’s graduates, we offer meaningful words worthy of a meaningful accomplishment:
• “In the end, we are our choices. Build yourself a great story.” — Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder.
• “Success is a lot like a bright white tuxedo: You feel terrific when you get it, but then you’re desperately afraid of getting it dirty, of spoiling it.” — Conan O’Brien, TV host.
• “Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith.” — Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder.
• “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all — in which case, you fail by default.” — J.K. Rowling, author.
• “There is no straight path from your seat today to where you are going. Don’t try to draw that line. You will not just get it wrong, you’ll miss big opportunities. And I mean big — like the internet. Careers are not ladders — those days are long gone — but jungle gyms. Don’t just move up and down, don’t just look up: Look backwards, sideways around corners. Your career and your life will have starts and stops and zigs and zags.” — Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook chief operating officer.
• “Listen once in a while. It’s amazing what you can hear.” — Russell Baker, writer.
• “Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path. Unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path, then by all means you should follow that.” — Ellen DeGeneres, comedian.
• “You will inevitably make mistakes. Learn what you can and move on. At the end of your days, you will be judged by your gallop, not your stumble.” — Bradley Whitford, actor.
• “There will be blind alleys and one-night wonders and soul-crushing jobs and wake-up calls and crises of confidence and moments of transcendence when you are walking down the street and someone will thank you for telling your story because it resonated with their own.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda, playwright.
• “Do what you love at least a little bit, and if you have to do something else to support what you love, do it.” — James Franco, actor.
• “Understand that one day you will have the power to make a difference, so use it well.” — Mindy Kaling, actress.
Congratulations and best of luck to all of this year’s graduates.
