Ahem…
In 5, 4.
Hi, I’m Greg Stoller from Questrom.
Congratulations on graduation!
Hey, Class of 2018!
Congratulations.
This is your graduation.
It is a momentous occasion.
Yeah, you’re graduating.
Whoa!
That’s awesome.
This is a major step forward.
It’s a major accomplishment.
We are very proud of you.
You’ve worked so hard to get here.
What I want to say to you as you embark on this next part of your journey is that “You
are enough.”
There is enough creative potential, enough skill, enough gift in you to be able to do
and meet whatever challenge it is that you are going to face.
Words of advice…
I don’t know.
You know, the path to success…it meanders.
You might have a plan, you might have a plan.
Be okay with the fact that the plan is going to change.
And if you don’t have a plan, you might be better off, to be honest.
I’d like to give you one advice that I received from my professor when I was a student and
that was to "dream big."
Do not let “no” deter you.
Every famous author, actor, composer you’ve ever heard of has been rejected more times
than they’ve been accepted.
Just be patient, be persistent, and stay confident in what you’ve learned here as a Terrier.
And I would also say please be so good at everything you do that they just can’t ignore
you.
You ready?
The world is often shot through with irrationality and absurdity.
And so it’s absolutely essential that you hold onto your sense of humor.
Is this way too?…
Maybe this way?
This way works?
Okay.
Hug.
Give real hugs.
Don’t forget to be a kid.
Don’t forget to enjoy yourself.
Don’t forget to give yourself a break.
And don’t forget that the ride should be more fun than work.
Am I allowed to talk about money?
When I graduated I had about honestly five bucks in my bank account, but I committed to saving.
Five dollars a week, ten dollars a week.
Just try to be consistent and start saving.
The most important lesson that I learned in life is patience, and from that flows everything
else.
Never be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.
Never be afraid to take risks.
Always seek to do something new.
I don’t really know how to do this.
Do at least one hour of exercise every day.
And I prefer high intensity interval training.
If you can, live and work in another country for at least one year.
It will give you a whole different perspective on the world.
Play music like it’s your job.
So as you go through life, you’ll find that there’s plenty of things that you can do,
there are a lot of things that you’re good at, and every so often—maybe even rarely—you’ll
find that there are things that you love.
Make room for the things that you love in your life.
Because even if you’re not good at them at first, you will be over time.
So go find things that you’re passionate about and that inspire you.
That’s all I got.
The rest is up to you to figure out and define what’s important to you, what you value,
and to make us proud in doing that.
Congratulations, Class of 2018!
Congratulations!
Congratulations.
And an even bigger thank you to you because, you know what?
I get to do everyday what I love thanks to you, my students.
I love all of you.
Thank you so much, and please do not lose touch.
Now go out there and make your mark on the world.