Keenan closed his speech by acknowledging the reality facing public service graduates: anytime they try to change something, they will face a chorus of cynics saying it can't be done, it won't work, fall in line. He urged them to ignore those voices, noting that nobody remembers the cynics. Whether you're delivering clean water in Africa, devising traffic patterns in Wichita, or launching a nonprofit in TriBeCa, he said, people remember those who take great risks and do big things on behalf of others. Having spent years writing words for a president who repeatedly chose bold action over political safety, Keenan spoke from deep experience.