As raindrops pelted caps and gowns during USC’s 132nd commencement ceremony, finance executive and main speaker Mellody Hobson offered USC graduates three words of wisdom to conquer any of life’s storms: Just add bravery.
“Bravery,” Hobson told the Trojans, “allows us to push beyond the boundaries that hold us back from living the lives that we want.”
More than 15,000 degrees were conferred to USC graduates, who hailed from each of the 50 states and from more than 115 nations. Despite their varied interests and diverse destinies, Hobson’s advice was applicable to each of them.
“USC has a rich tradition of brave graduates,” Hobson said. “Now it’s up to you to carry on that tradition. Your bravest self will be your best self.”
USC President C. L. Max Nikias lauded the newly minted graduates in Alumni Park, reminding them that “Trojans always seized destiny,” even when skies are gray. (This is the first time in nearly two decades that it rained on commencement day at USC. The last time, in 1996, a reported 0.04 inches of rainfall dropped from the sky.)
“To the bold,” Nikias said, “uncertainty represents a fountain of infinite, creative possibilities pouring out richly for those who are ready to Fight On toward the future.”
Read the full story here.