And NBC's Tom Costello is joining
us live from CU Boulder right now.
Tom chosen by the student body
as the commencement speaker.
I bet you must. That is such a thrill.
It is so humbling and really just jaw
dropping and I am just so honored
that they would ask me to come back
to see you for this and listen.
I've already been shopping
for a new sweatshirt,
but you know how it is here when you
come to see you and everybody says Hi Tom,
nice to see you, but where's Kim?
Where's Kim gets this all the time?
I'm sure there's Kim, I do,
but no, this is it is.
It is a spectacular honor and listen
the the point though I think as you as
you illustrated and and made the point,
we've got to give.
All of these students great,
great respect and and they're due for for
powering through four years of the pandemic,
which has been,
of course, so challenging.
My own kids were going through
that back on the East Coast,
but then for Boulder to go
through the King Soopers massacre
and the and the Marshall fires.
I mean this community,
and this university had been through so much,
so I think tomorrow at the Folsom Stadium
we are going to pay tribute to all of them.
Students, faculty, professors,
everybody, the Regents.
Everybody who's who's a part of the
CU community and tip our hat to all
of them and and really send them off.
I think with a great day,
we're expecting blue skies, right?
Is that what Kathy says?
I think it's gonna be nice.
I have to ask you something because
you've done a lot covering our
America and and private industry
going back into space. See you.
Such a famous school where you
attended for for providing so much
of the the talent that has provided
America such a great space program.
Does it go back that?
Far to you to your years up in Boulder.
Your timing is perfect Tom because I
just came out of the heritage center.
And by the way, Kim Christensen has
featured didn't see you Heritage Center,
but there is a huge section, a huge
section devoted to the astronauts from CU.
Hmm, and there are a lot of astronauts
from CU and I actually asked one
of the ladies who works there.
I said I think we have.
We must have what the third or fourth
most in the whole country, she said yes,
the fourth most astronauts of any public
university in the country come from CU.
That doesn't count, though.
The Air Force Academy and West Point.
I don't know why you
wouldn't count them right?
I'm sure they would like to be counted,
but the point being,
see you as a big provider.
This this school has phenomenal
aerospace engineering programs
and and all of the programs that
feed into the astronaut corps.
So if you haven't had a chance to come
through the Heritage Museum not just to
see Kim but to see all the astronauts
you should because it is really,
really impressive.
Yeah, we brag about them all the time.
I mean, it really is.
It's it's so fascinating.
You bring that up, Tom,
and it makes me think of the fact
that you've had the privilege of
really traveling the world for your
job and and yet many of us remember
you when you started here at 9 news,
and I think at some important that
you have never forgotten where you
came from and what does it mean?
What are you gonna feel when
you step into Folsom tomorrow?
First of all, this is home right?
Colorado is home.
See you is Home 9 news is home.
Denver is home so whenever
I'm back in Colorado,
I mean it's you know there
is such a warm feeling.
But I will say in many ways it
is the honor of my life to come
back to see you and be asked to
speak as the commencement speaker.
And it comes full circle because
Kim as you may remember,
the CU journalism program.
The television program was underneath
the bleachers at the false.
Yes, from stadium in the dungeon, so now I'm
coming full circle right back
to Folsom Stadium only instead
of being under the bleachers.
I'm on top of the bleachers and it's
just a terrific honor to to be here.
And I must say, you know,
this is a world class university
every I think Colorado is very,
very lucky to have so many great schools.
This is a world class university.
They talk about the school
across the country and so to come
back and to be a part of that.
It's just really, really special.
I have to ask you because you're
you're still in the in the midst of
of a brilliant career on television.
But it did start here at 9 news.
It's changed dramatically over the
30 plus years you've been doing it.
What do you say to young journalists now?
Or maybe a young journalist who's watching
today thinking about going into the field?
You know, I think the mission of what
we're trying to do every day is the same,
right? Tom, right, Kim?
I mean every day, well we tried to
do is shine a light on the facts and
to help the audience find the facts,
find perspective, find context,
and do that without bias,
and do that every single day you
come back and you try again and
again and you rededicate yourself
every day to finding the facts,
finding both sides of the story
or multiple sides of the story and
presenting them to the audience.
That's why. 9 news.
As the legacy and the reputation it does,
it's about serious journalism.
NBC News has the same tradition,
so I think if you are a young person
starting out in this business, listen.
If you are committed to that core value
of democracy and such an important
pillar of the democracy itself,
journalism and democracy.
Of course,
going hand in hand,
I think there's a place for you,
but as we all know,
without getting into the politics of it,
we're under fire right now.
And facts are under fire right now,
and so part of my message.
Is going to be to these new students
graduating with a fact based
degree regardless of their major.
It's a fact based degree from
a fact based university.
Pursue that in your professional lives.
Demand honesty, demand facts,
demand accountability from
yourselves from your employees
in the future and from us,
from journalists that makes us all better.
Oh my gosh, that was a
perfect tease for tomorrow.
We will be listening and watching.
We're so proud of you.
Our good friend Tom.
We miss you. And go buffs.
Take care, Doctor
scoffs can scoff, scoff
you're right. Hope to
see it again again soon.