Excellence is the antidote to racism, sexism and nepotism. The harder you work, the luckier you become. What is luck? Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.
speech graduation perseverance
Yvonne Thornton
Tuskegee University Commencement 2003, 2003
Giving is not something that should be saved for the sweet by and by. It should be a lifelong practice.
speech graduation gratitude
Stephen King
Vassar College Commencement 2001, 2001
He was committed to lifelong learning. He settled for nothing less than excellence. He not only sought truth — Galileo believed more than anything else that he would find it.
speech graduation curiosity
Daniel S. Goldin
MIT Commencement 2001, 2001
Do one thing at a time. Give each experience all your attention. Try to resist being distracted by other sights and sounds, other thoughts and tasks, and when it is, guide your mind back to what you're doing.
speech graduation discipline
John Walsh
Wheaton College Commencement 2000, 2000
Keep a journal. Knowing you're going to write something every day sharpens your attention to everything that happens. For the longest time, I didn't keep a journal, and as a result much of my pretty long and interesting life is lost to me.
speech graduation writing
John Walsh
Wheaton College Commencement 2000, 2000
What I do, in my opinion, is by no means extraordinary. I am merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.
speech graduation discipline
Billy Joel
Berklee College of Music Commencement 1993, 1993
It's surprising how hard we'll work when the work is done just for ourselves.
speech graduation passion
Bill Watterson
Kenyon College Commencement 1990, 1990
You have not earned the right to do less than your best.
speech graduation discipline
David Broder
Kalamazoo College Commencement 1988, 1988
You can outwork anybody. Try it, you will find out that you can do it. And what a great feeling that is.
speech graduation discipline
Woody Hayes
Ohio State University Commencement 1986, 1986
You can outwork anybody. Try it, and you will find out that you can do it.
speech graduation discipline
Woody Hayes
Ohio State University Commencement 1986, 1986
The work itself is the reward, and if I choose challenging work, it'll pay me back with interest. At least I'll be interested, even if nobody else is.
speech graduation passion
Meryl Streep
Vassar College Commencement 1983, 1983
The work itself is the reward, and if I choose challenging work, it'll pay me back with interest. At least I'll be interested, even if nobody else is.
speech graduation passion
Meryl Streep
Vassar College Commencement 1983, 1983