Legacy

The work that is called for, that we must do, has no expiration date. It is the construction of our more perfect union, and that job will never, ever be completed.

What did you do with your life? It is my sincere hope that you will begin a 50-year journey that allows you to answer quite simply: I made a difference.

The eulogy virtues are the ones people will say about you when you're gone. Will they say you were a kind person? Did you love freely? Were you a loyal friend? Did you live a life of giving?

Whatever you do with your life, be a builder.

Your piece of paper not only says where you were educated, but who you were educated with. It declares that you are a member of a community of people to be relied upon, to take risks, provoke thought, and to be committed participants in this world.

Whatever you do with your life, be a builder. Builders are comfortable in the belief that their life's work will one day be bigger than them — bigger than any one person.

Your reputation is everything. Don't sell it or trade it for anything.

We will all be measured by how much we contribute to the success of the people around us.

Your legacy is every life that you touch.

As of now, you become the writers of your own epic poem. And the truth is that every student, every class faces a unique set of challenges, and history judges whether they meet the moment.

Don't just ask yourself, 'What do I want to do?' Ask yourself: 'Who do I want to be?' Because what you do will never define you. Who you are always will.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.