Saint Joseph College

You will go forth from here and do extraordinary things – every single one of you. That is a given. Some of you have jobs lined up, or have been accepted into graduate school. Some of you have a game plan, and some of you may not – yet. You’re all dreaming, and some of those dreams may be clearer than others. No matter where you fall in the day-of-graduation planning stage, remember: Nothing is set in stone, and as long as you keep your heart and mind open, anything is possible. There’s a voice inside you, wiser than the voice of anyone you will ever meet. People may try to sway you, to convince you of their way of thinking, cause you to doubt yourself. They might mean well, and love you. That is not the point, and can sometimes, in fact, confuse the situation. Support and good guidance are most welcome – I always run decisions past my trusted inner circle. But when it comes to the actual making up of your mind, trust your own inner voice. Learn how to listen for it, and know it won’t let you down.

I hope you know as you leave the campus and begin the next chapter of your promising lives how much this world needs you. Commencement is the beginning, not the end and to whom much is given, much is expected. I work with leaders from every sector and industry who daily choose to be part of the solution to the world’s and to the Church’s needs. These women and men believe that when confronted by mediocrity, or by challenges, or by injustice that to do nothing is to be complicit. Take your education, your degree, your formation here as young leaders and exercise that leadership in service to making this a better world.