Glass reassured the graduates that their liberal arts education had given them everything they needed to succeed, while also being characteristically honest about what comes next. Education provides the tools, but the real challenge is putting them to use in the unpredictable world beyond campus. This was Glass's way of both validating the graduates' achievement and pushing them forward. His career in public radio — building 'This American Life' from a small Chicago show into one of the most popular programs in the country — was a testament to the power of liberal arts thinking applied with relentless effort and creative determination.