[MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHATTER]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERING]
Ladies and gentlemen, please stand
for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing
for the singing of the first verse of the national anthem.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United
States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands,
one Nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.
[MUSIC - JOHN STAFFORD SMITH, "THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER"]
[APPLAUSE]
Please be seated.
The president of the university.
[APPLAUSE]
Good morning.
Mr. Rector, Members of the Board of Visitors, colleagues,
family, friends, and the class of 2019--
[CHEERING]
--welcome.
My name is Jim Ryan and in addition to being the president
UVA, I am your host for today's ceremony
and I will also officially award the degrees, which
means that, for today, I'm something
of a cross between Oprah and Dumbledore.
[LAUGHTER]
For many of you, this is your first time at final exercises,
and it's mine as well, at least in this role.
I think we share a hope that it's
memorable for all the right reasons,
and not because I mangled the ceremony beyond recognition.
If that thought makes you a little nervous, all I can say
is that I know how you feel.
Today marks the end of our 190th academic session.
These final exercises are the University's most
joyful occasion, at least since the men's basketball team
won the national championship.
[APPLAUSE]
But we're not here today to celebrate
my personal and critical role in securing
a national championship in my first year as president.
[LAUGHTER]
No, no, no, no.
We are here, today, to confer degrees
on the candidates from the College and Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences.
Before we begin, I'd like to recognize members
of our leadership team who will either be leaving us or taking
on new roles, Tom Katsouleas, our provost, Dr. Rick
Shannon, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs,
Dorrie Fontaine, the Dean of the School of Nursing,
Allan Stam, the Dean of The Batten School,
and Dr. Marcus Martin, our Vice President and Chief Officer
for Diversity and Equity.
Each of these leaders has shaped this university
in profound ways.
And I'm grateful to them for their service.
And I ask that you join me in a huge round of applause.
[APPLAUSE]
I'd also like to acknowledge some of our student athletes
who can't be with us today.
Members of the women's golf team, women's rowing team,
men's and women's lacrosse teams,
and baseball team are competing on the road today.
And we wish them the best of luck.
[APPLAUSE]
Our music today is provided by the 392nd Army Band
from Fort Lee, Virginia, under the direction of Chief Warrant
Officer 2 James H. Landrum.
Please join me in round of applause for the band.
[APPLAUSE]
And also for the members of the Army, Navy, and Air Force ROTC,
who presented the colors.
[APPLAUSE]
I'd like to extend my sincerest congratulations and gratitude
to all the parents, grandparents, brothers
and sisters, aunts and uncles, other family
members, and friends in the audience today.
Together, you have supported our graduating students
in countless ways including financially,
emotionally, and gastronomically.
[LAUGHTER]
You have paid tuition.
You have offered encouragement.
And you have fed them when they are home on break.
My guess is that many of you are still
involved with some laundry from time to time.
Today is your day as well, which is
why I would like to ask all the graduating students to stand
turn toward the audience and give around of applause
to those who helped you on this journey.
[APPLAUSE]
I'd like to thank the staff who work hard all year
and who have worked tirelessly to make graduation
special for all involved.
They, too, deserve a huge round of applause.
[APPLAUSE]
And I'd like to thank our faculty, the heart and soul
of this institution, who have served not simply as teachers,
but as mentors and friends.
[APPLAUSE]
Finally, congratulations to the class of 2019,
which is by far the most outstanding graduating class I
have seen as a president of the university.
[LAUGHTER]
[APPLAUSE]
I hope and trust that you will look back on your time
here as among the most important, enjoyable, engaging,
and life-changing experiences of your lives.
You are leaving this community stronger than you found it.
And I have no doubt that you will make the world
beyond UVA a better place.
I also want to say a personal thanks
for helping make this past year one I will never forget.
It's been a true joy and a sincere privilege
to get to know many of you and to serve as your president.
I'm genuinely sorry that we only had one year together,
but I take it as a small sign of success for all of us
that you are moving on and I'm returning for a second year.
[LAUGHTER]
And now, let us begin this ancient and honorable ritual
through which we shall recognize your achievements
and welcome you into the company of superbly educated citizen
leaders.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
[INAUDIBLE] the university.
How magical a sight this gathering
is to behold, both in vision and in spirit.
To our graduates, let me offer our warmest congratulations
and admiration.
Throughout the year, we look forward
to this day with great anticipation,
for today, we see the culmination of years
of dedication and we sense the possibility of your future.
We are thankful for your decision
to attend this university in the first place,
as you have contributed mightily to its uniqueness.
You have made this university your own
and it is better as a result.
Today is a day of joy for you and for those
who have accompanied you on this journey,
as you complete this phase of your education
and this chapter of your life.
And there is much for which we are
all grateful in your arrival to this day.
Most importantly, the person you have
become, as well as the constant support of your families,
your friends, and your fellow students,
and the extraordinary dedication of our faculty and staff.
Today is also, in the truest sense, a day of hope.
And it is the hope we have for you
and the hope you give to us and others
that I want to acknowledge.
For you see, hope is one of the fundamental emotions
that sustains one's life and that of our society.
Without hope, little is possible.
Our founder envision this day, not as an end to your time
here, but as the commencement of a lifetime
of learning devoted to furthering the human condition.
It was his hope that his revolutionary experiment
in education would sustain the nation, democracy
he helped create and lead to a better world.
And so as we celebrate what you have accomplished,
I want you to know, and I want you to understand,
and I want you to remember that because of who you are,
because of what you have accomplished,
because of your time on these grounds,
you give us immense hope for the future, your future and that
of our nation.
For each of you, we hope that your life
is one of meaningful accomplishments,
supportive and sustainable relationships,
and a feeling of worth and fulfillment in your endeavors.
We hope that whatever path you choose in life,
you never fail to remember the importance of service
to your fellow human beings.
Because it is your calling after earning
a degree from this university, as well
as the genesis of everything we hope for each of you.
Your promise, in turn, gives us hope for our nation
and the world community.
We are at a point in this nation's history,
where we need to cast off the ways of the present.
We can no longer afford to continue
as we are if we are to achieve this nation's promise.
You are entering a world with enormous challenges
and, yet, with enormous opportunities.
But we will fail to realize those opportunities
if our desire is to dwell on our differences
rather than celebrate our commonality;
if our instinct is to condemn those with whom we disagree,
rather than to seek understanding
of our disagreements; if we allow the continued
devolution of community in favor of individual resentment
and grievance; if we further, rather than eliminate,
the inequities and injustices in our society;
if we remain silent when circumstances demand that we
speak; and if we fail to recognize
the humanity in each person in all things that we do.
The hope you give us is that you will go forth
from this day with the knowledge that your days
at this university were not designed simply
for the purpose of starting you on the path
to mastering excellence in one field or another,
but rather for a greater purpose of applying
your knowledge, your skills, and your heart
for the betterment of this world.
In doing so, you will find your true potential
and your true fulfillment and you
will give much needed hope to our nation and world community.
On behalf of our faculty, our president, my fellow visitors,
I thank you for your contributions
to this community.
I wish you well as you move on.
And I look forward with confidence
that throughout your life the hopeful challenge of our Rita
Dove in her poem "The Testimonial"
remains your compass, "The world called, and I answered."
Godspeed to each of you and to your families.
[APPLAUSE]
Our keynote speaker today is an enormously active and gaging
member of the faculty.
And I am generally honored to introduce him.
Cameron Webb graduated with a BA from the college in 2005.
He was an Echols Scholar, a member of Alpha Phi
Alpha fraternity, a peer health educator,
a Chair of the Cultural Programming Board,
and one of the very first summer orientation leaders.
He received a JD and health law certificate
from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and an MD
from Wake Forest School of Medicine.
He completed his residency in internal medicine
at New York Presbyterian Hospital
and received additional training at Johns Hopkins.
He is Assistant Professor of Medicine
and Public Health Sciences at the School of Medicine,
the Director of Health Policy and Equity
in the Department of Public Health Sciences,
and practices as a hospitalist in the Division of General
Medicine, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care.
In 2016, Dr. Webb was selected for the year-long White House
Fellowship Program, which gives firsthand experience
in the process of governing the nation,
working both for the Obama and Trump administrations.
[LAUGHTER]
Throughout his career, Dr. Webb had
used his knowledge of both medicine and law to study
and advocate for the needs of under-served and marginalized
communities, with a particular focus on the intersection
of health and social justice.
He helped lead 200 black alumni to support efforts
in Charlottesville to strengthen the community after the events
of August 11 and 12, and co-authored an open letter
to the class of 2021 about the Who's Against Hate initiative.
He also serves on the boards of directors
of Doctors for America and the Boys
and Girls Club of Central Virginia.
Most importantly, and perhaps his greatest achievement,
is that Cameron is married to Leigh-Ann Webb,
who is also a medical doctor, who, tomorrow,
will receive her third degree from UVA--
[APPLAUSE]
--an MBA from Darden.
So please join me in welcoming just
an extraordinary young leader at our university, Dr. Cameron
Webb.
[APPLAUSE]
I can already tell you guys like my wife more than you like me.
[LAUGHTER]
Thank you so much, Mr. Rector, for that kind introduction,
President Ryan, to the board of visitors,
distinguished faculty, to the proud alumni,
and most importantly to the members
and guests of the University of Virginia class of 2019.
Thank you so much for this blessing and this honor
to join you today for this momentous occasion.
[APPLAUSE]
I have to admit, I'm overwhelmed right now.
This weekend has been a long time coming for so many of us.
And just think about the hours that were invested,
all the time spent, the long nights
that became early mornings.
Think about the countless moments
of anticipation and excitement that
sometimes turned into disappointment and frustration.
Think about the incredible twists
and turns that we've seen along the way.
Think of how you've watched people grow and evolve,
sometimes for the better, but, let's
be honest, sometimes for the worse.
But now, this weekend is finally here
and we all, together, get to answer the most pressing
question of all.
What the heck is going to happen on the series
finale of Game of Thrones?
[LAUGHTER]
Who's going to sit on the iron throne?
I'm confused.
Also, of mild importance, you guys are graduating.
And that's really, really exciting as well.
This has been a long time coming for so many of you
and incredibly proud-- not just of you,
but let's hear it one time for the bicentennial class
in 2019 but also for your village, for the family,
and friends who helped you along the way.
Congratulations to you.
[APPLAUSE]
As a UVA alum, it's impossible to be here
on the lawn for finals weekend and to not really soak this
in and be transported back to your own graduation.
And the commencement speaker my year was Dr. Vivian Pinn.
She's a renowned physician and scientist,
a longtime leader at the National Institutes of Health.
She absolutely has earned her place
in the pantheon of great UVA alum.
She even has a building named after her
over at the School of Medicine.
And yeah, for Dr. Pinn.
And in the years after my graduation,
I'm blessed to have forged a friendship with Dr. Pinn.
A couple of weeks ago, I reached out.
We had a chance to connect and talk about her own experience
as the commencement speaker.
It gave me an occasion to look back
at her remarks, 14 years later, with fresh eyes,
and to see what really I could lift from that now,
some years removed from graduation.
What I found was something that really struck me,
a particular paragraph, where Dr. Pinn
was describing the Human Genome Project
and the sobering realization that we, humans, have
roughly the same number of genes as fruit flies.
Now, that being said, she still reminded us
of a really important human characteristic
that differentiates us from fruit flies.
There are a couple.
[LAUGHTER]
But one, in particular.
"We can learn from the past, we can live in the present,
and we can keep an eye on the future," she said.
So here, 14 years after she made those remarks,
I believe that this moment, this day, this graduation
accomplishment is best experienced
through view the lens of that uniquely human relationship
with time.
Today, as you punctuate another transition out
of one phase of life and into another,
you have the rare opportunity to seamlessly connect
with who you were, who you are, and who you will be.
For those of you in the college, I
want to take you back to the last time
that you were all gathered together here on the lawn.
That was Sunday, August 23, 2015.
1,364 days ago.
You were all sitting on this lawn for your opening
convocation and honor induction.
Now, the arrangement was a little different.
You were turned around and you were
facing the rotunda, the temple of knowledge
for our little academical village.
You may also remember that there was a gift that
was left on your seat.
It was a gift from the UVA Alumni Association.
And it was a shiny new nickel, sort of like this one.
Now, I know what you're thinking.
When it comes to Thomas Jefferson currency,
$2.00 bills are way cooler.
[LAUGHTER]
But nickels are actually super cool also.
Like, trust me on this one, OK?
Now, the first thing is they're the only American coin
with a forward facing presidential bust on the coin.
Secondly, the name is a little bit misleading
because they're only 25% nickel, but 75% copper.
They should be called a copper.
[LAUGHTER]
Next, they actually cost more to produce than they're worth.
They cost about 7.5 cent to produce.
And they're worth $0.05.
And then, my favorite is how for the past 14 years,
it's illegal to melt down nickels or to transport more
than $5.00 worth of nickels out of the country.
And that's because of the rising cost of copper and nickel
and they don't want us realizing they're
worth more as melted down metal than as actual nickels.
Coins, in general, are cool.
The study of coins is called numismatics.
And real quick, how many sides of a coin are there?
Two.
You're wrong.
You're loud and wrong.
[LAUGHTER]
There are three sides of a coin.
The front side is the obverse, that's heads.
The face of a coin.
The backside is called the reverse.
That's tails.
And the third side is often forgotten.
It's that edge that runs circumferentially
all around the coin.
So why did I just spend so much time telling you
about nickels and coins?
Well, it's because you can get a lot out of this moment,
out of this day, your graduation from UVA,
if you think about it being a lot like that nickel
you got that opening convocation.
On the obverse, on the front side,
you got that portrait of Mr. Jefferson, kind
of that figure of our university that you're
staring squarely in the face.
On the reverse, on the backside, you're looking at Monticello.
That's the manifestation of the life
that Mr. Jefferson had the vision, the creativity,
and the drive to create for himself.
That's where you're headed.
That's where you will be.
But on that third side, on the edge, it's completely blank.
It's seemingly only a transition space
from one side to the other.
But when you stand that nickel up,
or you spend that nickel around, you
realize there's actually some substance there.
Today, in this moment, I want you
to realize that you guys are standing
on the edge of a nickel and that there's a lot of power
and potential in this space.
As Dr. Pinn put it, "living in this moment
means that you're simultaneously having the opportunity
to learn from your past, while keeping an eye on your future."
Let's start with learning from your past.
How can you use this moment to reflect on your years
on these grounds and really connect
with their impact on you?
What did you glean from your time
staring Mr. Jefferson and his university
squarely in the face?
Now, I had the honor of living in a dorm named
Webb in my first year at UVA.
It's named for the same person for whom
Watson Webb is named today.
I was the Webb in Webb.
But I say that it was an honor because that dorm is
named after my great great grandfather.
[GASPS]
I'm just playing, y'all.
That's not true.
[LAUGHTER]
It's completely and utterly false.
I have no known familial relationship with Professor
Robert Henning Webb.
But that's a little alternative fact
that I used to tell my suite mates back in 2001.
[LAUGHTER]
I bring up Webb Dorm and I bring up my suite mates
because a big part of where you have been these last few years
is building really important relationships with others
through shared experiences, through commiseration,
and sometimes through long-running inside jokes.
Like how I met [INAUDIBLE] on a basketball court in Slaughter
and six years later, he was the first person
I asked to be a groomsman in my wedding.
Or how I met Mia in my peer advising group
through the OAAA.
And years later, when she had her daughter,
she did me the honor of asking me to be
one of [INAUDIBLE] godfathers.
Or Leigh-Ann, who lived in [INAUDIBLE]..
She's the girl who I begged to study with me for chemistry
because she was so smart and studious and good looking
and how Leigh-Ann is now my bride of 10 years next week
and how she's the mother of our two children.
[APPLAUSE]
The bonds that you have built-- that's right.
The bonds that you've built through your relationships
will continue to deepen with time, if you only
continue to value them and nurture them like you
have during these years.
Now, beyond socializing, there was certainly an education
for you here at the University of Virginia.
In fact, back when you arrived, that's
the only thing that you knew for certain
that you were going to receive.
Now, you may not have known precisely
in which subject you would study,
but you knew that you could reasonably
expect that in these years you would
have some depth of exposure in some field of inquiry.
But today, as you look back at where you were,
what did you learn over these years?
Not your scores on exams or the masterful papers
you wrote, not what's on your transcript,
but what did you actually learn?
Through your coursework, you tackled the substance
of what would become your degrees in government
or economics, African American studies or anthropology,
sociology or psychology, but each semester, every day,
through your struggle and your success, your challenge
and your commitment, you earned so much more.
You earned a degree of humility and a degree of sacrifice,
a degree of perseverance and a degree of thankfulness,
a degree of self-reliance and a degree of self-awareness,
a degree of swagger and a degree of sophistication.
While you deepened your knowledge
in your respective fields, you actually
sharpened the person you were into the person you are.
Finally, what did you accomplish while you were here?
What was your UVA legacy?
Hey, buddy.
We all inhabit these spaces on grounds for but a moment,
just a moment.
And we're fiduciaries of an ethos.
We are stewards of our university's ideals.
And in the time you all were here,
you led, you created, you helped UVA evolve
into its next and better self.
You stood united against hatred and bigotry.
And you spoke up for greater inclusion and awareness.
You helped make history, energizing our men's basketball
team along their path to becoming national champions.
[APPLAUSE]
You did these things not as individuals,
but you did them as a collective body.
You proved the power of collective purpose and passion.
So when you look at the diploma you'll
receive in a couple of hours remember all
that it truly stands for.
Remember how you walked on these grounds surrounded
by complete strangers, but you left with new family members
and lifetime friends.
Remember how you turn tragedy into triumph showing the world
time and again who we are and what we stand for.
Remember how you came in full of potential,
but walked out as scholars and innovators,
as activists and champions.
Remember that this chapter of your life is closing,
but this ceremony is called commencement because this
is just the beginning.
Remember that you are just getting started.
Let's talk about today, let's discuss where you're currently
situated in this moment, that standing
on the edge of a nickel.
A space you can easily overlook, and to what you don't often
pay attention, but that space that has more substance and
function than you realize.
There's a word that I use not infrequently in
my time as in medical anthropology major here at UVA.
That word is liminality.
It's derived from the Latin word meaning threshold.
And it's the transitional period, or phase,
of a rite of passage during which the participant lacks
social status and rank, they remain anonymous,
they show obedience and humility,
and they follow prescribed forms of conduct, dress, et cetera.
Look at yourselves.
Herded onto this lawn wearing these formless gowns
and these awkward, though expertly decorated, caps.
[LAUGHTER]
This is liminality.
And one thing that's well accepted
is that in those liminal moments,
there's a transformational power in those transitional periods,
if only you recognize the moment.
In the years since I graduated from UVA,
I've had quite a few transitions from undergrad to grad school,
from grad school to med school, med school to law school,
law school back to med school, med school to residency,
residency to the, why, are you confused about what
I've been doing with my life?
Sometimes I am, too.
But I want to focus on one transition,
in particular, to help really illustrate
how powerful these moments can be,
if you really focus on them.
And you heard earlier that I was a White House fellow
but that only tells part of the story
because I was actually a White House
fellow in a presidential transition year,
in 2016 to 2017.
So I walked into the White House knowing
that there's going to be a change
in my commander in chief.
For those first 5 and 1/2 months,
working in the Obama administration
was absolutely amazing.
In my work on President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative,
I had the opportunity to do some really great and important
work, but to also meet some really incredible people.
I had meetings with Kobe Bryant and Eric Holder Jay Ellis,
[INAUDIBLE],, Al Sharpton, Eric Holder, DL Hughley,
the entire Detroit Pistons basketball team.
Now, I did meet with some non-black people, too,
but I'm doing this for the culture right now, so.
[LAUGHTER]
You know-- you know, one week, I even
had the opportunity to meet with President Obama four
times in the same week.
It was incredible.
After the election, I knew, along with the rest of America,
that I was in for a pretty significant change.
So I spent the next few weeks preparing myself
for the transition, as I had learned to do so many times
before.
Then, on the night before inauguration,
I spent time just sitting in the West Wing,
wandering around, talking with folks, soaking in the moment,
but also thinking.
I reflected on my values and my grounding principles.
I thought through scenarios where
I could still have an impact and still meet cool people.
But more than anything, I grounded myself
in a sense of duty, knowing that my passion and my voice
for social justice could be my greatest
contribution to the building once the Trump administration
began in January.
Now, harnessing that liminality, focusing in on that transition
completely, that held me down.
It grounded me through the very first day
of the Trump administration when my office was cleaned out.
All my belongings thrown away because they
thought I was leaving with the rest of the Obama
administration.
Or it steadied me when they moved my desk out
into the hallway and wouldn't allow
me to come into the office with everyone else
because they were dealing with sensitive matters.
It sustained me in those six weeks
that I spent sitting in a hallway being
told every day that they didn't have
any work on which I can help.
Finally, two months later, in March,
I found an office where I could contribute,
where I was valued as a colleague,
and where I forged genuine friendships
in the Domestic Policy Council.
I worked on drug pricing.
And I even worked to find ways to continue
some of the important work from the Obama administration
and My Brother's Keeper.
But without my reflection in the midst of that transition,
without grounding myself somewhere
between Obama and Trump, I never would
have made it to that point.
And more than that, I never would
have known how to be myself and have
an impact once I got there.
Now, while that example focuses on a unique type of transition,
most of your transitions are going to take you
from one state to another.
And in that process, you're often
going to acquire something on the other side
of that transition.
It may be a degree, it may be a title,
it may be a higher salary, or it may be some privilege.
Tossing out, here we go.
Commencement speaker's about to break down white privilege.
It's gonna be real.
And while racial and gender and body privilege
are unique in that they can be assessed by appearance alone,
the truth is that we all need to have an ear
to listen when we talk about the role of privilege
in shaping experiences in this country.
Keep in mind that in addition to my being black,
you are looking at a young cisgender, heterosexual,
non-disabled, Christian, American man with two
professional degrees who grew up in a two-parent household.
There's a lot of privilege that I have
that I have to be aware of.
So for the purposes of this morning,
let's operate on the premise that privilege is privilege
and you will acquire your newest form of privilege
in just a few hours.
You're going to have the privilege that comes
with being a college graduate.
And I know you're looking at me like, I got
the privilege of these loans.
[LAUGHTER]
You might even balk of my use of the term privilege
because of how hard you worked to earn it.
And I get that.
But the truth is that the privilege that
comes with being a college graduate-- it plays out
in a lot of unexpected places.
After all, only 31% of adults over the age of 25
have a bachelor's degree.
That's less than one in three.
And compared to a high school graduate,
you're half as likely to be unemployed,
and you're going to earn about $22,000 more per year,
an income gap that's actually going to grow with time.
In a couple of hours, you're going
to become 11% more likely to own a home
and you're actually going to gain
six additional years of life expectancy
compared to a high school graduate.
The privilege that I'm describing with regard
to your identity as newly minted college graduates
is that society gives you an outsized benefit
for that status.
More than that, it gives you that benefit
often at the expense of someone else's opportunity
or well-being and cycles continue.
So in this transitional period, in this last phase
of your rite of passage, in the midst of your liminality,
what will you do?
What transformational energy will you harness?
What commitments to yourself will you
make, as you learn from your past and look to your future?
Will you be willing to set aside your newest privilege
and, instead, stand up, speak out, and commit
yourself to prioritizing equality and justice?
The choice will always be yours, but how will you act?
Who will you be?
And that brings us to the final side of our coin, the reverse,
the backside, tails.
Now, going back to our nickel, that's
the side of the depiction of the west facade, the iconic back
of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.
Just as Jefferson spent over four decades
designing, dismantling, and reimagining his estate,
how will you conceive, execute, and inhabit
the future that awaits you?
Now, I want to build on this historic symbolism of UVA
commencement for a moment.
We talked about how at your opening convocation
you were turned facing the rotunda,
and today, you sit facing the opposite direction.
If you remove Old Cabell Hall in the South Lawn
from today's backdrop, you realize
that the notion was to have you facing outward
into the world that awaits you.
Now, the road ahead will not always
look like those paved streets behind you,
like Emmett Street or University Avenue.
They won't always be lined with the comfort, convenience,
and fun of The Corner.
Instead, the road ahead will look a lot
like the environment that surrounded you
through your years in Charlottesville,
like these Blue Ridge Mountains.
And believe me, there will be mountains ahead.
Not a single indomitable mountain,
but a series of seemingly sloping hills.
Sometimes beautiful scenery from a distance,
but often tiring and treacherous when you try to traverse them.
I remember one particular mountain
just before I came to UVA in 2017.
No, not-- not figuratively.
It was really a mountain.
I was on a trip to South Africa with a group of White House
Fellows, and we went to do a hike on Lion's Head Mountain
in Cape Town.
It has a summit of about 2,200 feet,
takes about 90 minutes to hike.
The way up was fantastic.
I was surrounded by friends, full of energy,
taking in the scenery.
We get to the top and snap some pictures, post on Instagram,
done and done.
But shortly after, we're starting to hike back down.
I get to a scramble and I carelessly go to descend.
I slip.
I tumble down the scramble, about 30 or 40 feet or so.
My careening body amazingly comes to a stop
two feet from the edge of the mountain.
As I lay there in pain and disbelief,
a French passer-by mutter something
about me being a stupid American.
I get up, I dust myself off, and I limp back down the mountain,
feeling absolutely awesome.
But I learned something from that tumble.
Something hit me, and I'm not talking about one
of the many rocks that hit me on the way down.
I realized that I slipped and fell
because I was wearing a pair of old Nike fly nets that
had no grip, that I moved too quickly and too carelessly
on the way down, that falling felt terribly,
and that next time I would be better prepared.
I realized that when it comes to mountains,
you really have to know how to climb
or else you're more likely to fall.
These mountains ahead of you are similar.
You have to know how to climb and with what tools, or else
you're more likely to fall.
Let's be real, you're going to fall sometimes, anyway,
but what can you do to minimize that risk
or to make your tumble a little more forgiving?
Now, on their website, REI has The 10 Essentials
for Safety, Survival, and Basic Comfort for Climbing Mountains
and more talking about real mountain
climbing, not hiking small things that I still
couldn't do without injury.
Their list includes navigation, like a map
or a compass, sun protection, insulation, illumination,
first aid supplies, fire, a repair kit and tools,
nutrition, hydration, and an emergency shelter.
If you are new to mountain climbing,
this list, or one like it, seems like a pretty good place
to start to give you your best chance for success.
Well, for you, I wanted to offer a few recommendations
as the tools you can take with you
as you navigate the mountains ahead.
I feel blessed to have achieved what I have over these last 14
years since UVA and I wanted to give you
the BCW guide on how to climb.
First, be authentic.
It's a lot like navigation, actually.
Know your true north.
When you come to a fork in the road,
you have multiple opportunities in front of you.
Or when you have a difficult decision
to make about how to move forward
in new or challenging spaces, keep in mind
that you never have regrets if you stay true to yourself,
true to your values, and true to your dreams.
Second, find mentors.
I think this would be the illumination on REI's list.
And while there is no other person
who shares all the unique components that make you you,
there are always people who have climbed mountains before you
and who can give you some insight on how
to best tackle yours.
Do yourself a favor.
Keep those folks around to help light your path.
Believe me, you'll save yourself a lot of time
by avoiding the missteps they made when they climbed.
Third, iterate.
It's kind of a mix of those first aid supplies
and the repair kit and tools.
Like I said before, you're going to fall.
You'll take your lumps.
And both you and your tools may seem broken at times.
But in order to move forward, you have to patch them,
you have to patch yourself up and try again.
You've already learned that nothing worth
having comes easily.
And as you push farther and farther,
you have to remember to take care of yourself,
to adapt on the fly, and to always be ready to try again.
Fourth, cross pollinate.
That's like nutrition from REI.
Diversity of thought is such an incredible driver
of organizational and individual success.
And people in different places think differently.
After Charlottesville, I went to North Carolina, then Chicago,
New York City, Washington DC, back to Charlottesville,
and I picked up so many new and different ways
of thinking along the way.
You can find diversity of thought in one place,
but you find a lot more if you look
in new and different places.
Don't be afraid to branch out or take advantage of the learning
opportunities wherever they may be.
And finally, lift as you climb.
I'm talking about reaching back and lifting someone up who's
on their way up behind you.
Now, this would be that provision
of fire in REI's list.
And it sounds like added work, it sounds like extra credit,
but it's actually life bringing.
You learn so much by looking back, by reaching back,
and helping someone else along.
That's one way that you can put your privilege, including
your privilege as newly-minted college graduates
to work by making life better for others.
After all, as Farrell said yesterday,
"that's the only way to make life better for yourself."
| also can give you one way to keep in touch with how far
that you've gone to give yourself
that fire and the energy to make it on your next steps ahead.
So be authentic, find mentors, iterate, cross pollinate,
and lift as you climb.
I'm not saying that it's a sure thing for success, fulfillment,
and a peaceful and happy life, but I
do think that by keeping these concepts in mind,
you really increase your odds for safety, survival,
and basic comfort while you climb.
Now, my time up here has long since run its course
and, you know, sorry, but not sorry.
They gave me the mic, so they messed up.
[LAUGHTER]
But I know that you guys have hats to throw and hugs to give.
You have diplomas to receive and selfies to snap.
So in closing, I just want to share with you
the great optimism that I have for you all
as you move forward.
We have so much to be grateful for in our lives,
in our nation, and in our world.
I want to lead with that because I believe it in my heart.
In so many ways, people are living better lives
all around the world today than at any previous point
in human history.
But I have to acknowledge the enormous challenges
that we still face in our nation and our world.
Like how we face a crisis of economic mobility.
How the chance is no better than a coin flip that you all
will earn more than your parents did.
Or how men continue to perpetrate
absolutely unconscionable assaults on the physical--
physical and policy assaults on the bodies and on the rights
of women.
[APPLAUSE]
How our failures to protect the environment
not only endanger future generations,
but endanger hundreds of millions of people
around the world right now.
How unacceptable disparities and in health--
absolutely unacceptable disparities in health
are persisting because of ongoing disparities
and injustices in where we are born,
grow, live, learn, eat, play, and pray.
[APPLAUSE]
Finally, how wealth and power remain
concentrated in the hands of far too few and out
of reach for far too many.
But-- but you know, there's a quote by Frederick Douglass
and it's "that power concedes nothing without a demand.
It never did and it never will."
And while you hear me run through that list
of societal ills, I want you to remember
what your parents and your professors and your employers
have been saying all along.
If power concedes nothing without a demand,
power better watch out, because there's never been a more
demanding generation than y'all.
[LAUGHTER]
So take that spirit and direct it toward something--
the parents like that one.
Take that spirit and direct it toward something positive,
toward something productive, toward improving our society
and mending unnecessary divides, toward being the change
and building the world in which we should be living.
Be slow to speak, but quick to listen.
Be thoughtful, contemplative, and inclusive.
Reject the notion that you have to play the game
to be able to change the rules, but partner and plan
well so that you can create new games that work for everyone.
Because if you stand on the edge of your nickel
and you capture the transformational power
of the moments that await you, you can
and you will accomplish anything.
We've never seen the likes of you
and the world will never be the same.
So here's to you, the class of 2019,
first of your names, kings and queens of the Wahoos,
and the first NCAA tournament champion,
lords of the bicentennial, and protectors of the lawn.
[APPLAUSE]
And if you don't get that reference,
you've got a lot of Game of Thrones to watch tonight.
So thank you for all that you've done and all that you will do.
Best of luck and journey well.
[APPLAUSE]
The president of the university.
Thank you, Dr. Webb, for those great remarks.
One more round of applause, I think.
[APPLAUSE]
All of today's graduates have chosen
to study the arts and sciences, whether in the college
or in the graduate school.
In doing so, they've reaffirmed their commitment
to discovering the truth and leave here prepared
to be citizen leaders in a world that desperately needs them.
Some of today's graduates have earned further distinction
by completing their degrees early.
120 students from the College of Arts and Sciences
earned their baccalaureate degrees in three years,
and five more college students did so in only two years.
I didn't know that was physically possible.
In recognition, of their effort and as a symbol
of their achievement, these students
are wearing orange soles today.
Will those of you who are graduating early please
stand so we can give you a well deserved round of applause?
[APPLAUSE]
I'd also like to recognize and congratulate
the more than 400 students who are the first in their families
to graduate from college this weekend.
[APPLAUSE]
As a fellow first-generation student,
I want to say how delighted I am for all of you
and how much I admire your accomplishments.
And I'd also like to thank those in the audience who helped
you get to this milestone.
All of today's degree candidates are listed in your program,
including those who completed the requirements
for their degrees in December or last August.
For the candidates from the College and Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences, we will award 3,050 total degrees,
including 2,701 bachelor's degrees, 219 master's degrees,
and 130 PhD's.
The Dean of the College and Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences will now present the candidates
for degrees.
Under authority vested in the general faculty
and delegated to me, I will, then, award the degrees.
Immediately after these exercises
department graduation ceremonies will take place around grounds.
The locations are listed in the finals program.
The Executive Vice President and Provost of the University.
The inevitable, indomitable, incomparable,
Dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
[APPLAUSE]
The candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
will please rise and remain standing.
[APPLAUSE]
Mr. President, as Dean of the College and Graduate School
of Arts and Sciences, I have the honor
to present these candidates who have
fulfilled the requirements for the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy.
I confer upon you the degree of Doctor of Philosophy,
with all the rights and privileges
there unto belonging.
I welcome you to the ancient and universal company of scholars.
The doctors of philosophy will please be seated.
[APPLAUSE]
The candidates for the degree of Master of Arts,
Master of Arts in Physics Education, Master of Fine Arts,
and Master of Science will please rise
and remain standing.
[APPLAUSE]
Mr. President, I have the honor to present these candidates who
have fulfilled the requirements for the degree of Master
of Arts, Master of Arts in Physics Education,
or Master of Science.
I confer upon you the appropriate master's degree,
with all the rights and privileges
there unto belonging.
I charge you to apply the knowledge you
have gained in ways that advance social good
and promote humane values.
[APPLAUSE]
The Masters of Arts, Master of Arts in Physics Education,
Masters of Fine Arts, and Masters of Science
will please be seated.
[APPLAUSE]
The candidates for the degrees of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor
of Science in the College of Arts and Sciences
will please rise and remain standing.
[APPLAUSE]
Mr. President, I have the honor to present these candidates who
have fulfilled requirements for the degree of Bachelor
of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Arts and Sciences.
I confer upon you the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor
of Science, with all the rights and privileges
there unto belonging, and welcome you
to the fellowship of educated women and men.
I charge you to pursue truth in all of your endeavors
and to apply the principles of rigorous inquiry
and civil discourse in your professions,
in your lives as public citizens,
and in your engagement with the cultures in which you live.
You've waited a long time.
Take as much time as you want to applaud.
[APPLAUSE]
The Bachelors of Arts and Bachelors of Science
will please be seated.
The Chair of the University of Virginia Alumni Association
Board of Managers.
This is actually a very exciting day for me.
I finally got to walk the lawn.
50 years ago, I graduated from law school and it rained.
And we went inside, so as I walked down today,
I had great thoughts.
I have had three children walk the lawn.
And I understand the excitement, the pride, and the relief
that all the parents out there are feeling today.
So it's a special day.
But enough about me.
Let's talk a little bit about you.
First, congratulations.
Actually, congratulations twice.
When you accepted to this university, four,
five years ago, I'm not going to go back any further than
that, you joined a really special group.
It was a reflection on your academics,
and your contribution to your school and your community.
And today, as you receive your degree,
and become alumni, one of the 240,000 members of our family,
it's also a great reflection on your academics,
but more so on what you've become as a person.
So it is a day for great pride and a great sense, again,
for parents of relief.
I am here as Chair of the Board of Managers of the Alumni
Association, but before I get to the Alumni Association,
there are two numbers I want you to keep in mind.
One is 200.
And that's pretty easy because we've
heard about the bicentennial.
We know what happened.
About 200 years ago, this university was founded.
But take a minute and think about the incredible people
who are alumni of our university who have walked down this lawn
and what they have accomplished.
That should give you not only a sense of pride
but a sense of motivation.
The second number is 40.
And that's a little harder to come up with.
It's been alluded to today, but it was 40 days ago,
today, that the men's basketball team won
the national championship.
[APPLAUSE]
Wahoowa!
I'm not going to ask you which one of those numbers
excites you the most.
But now, let's talk a little bit about the Alumni Association.
We are housed in that white building over by Memorial Gym.
It's been a symbol of the Alumni Association
for years and years.
It hosts a lot of meetings, graduates, undergraduates,
faculty.
It's been a hub of the grounds for many, many years.
But that building, while the symbol of the Alumni
Association, really reflects a very small part
of what the association does.
First and foremost, the Association
is an independent organization whose main duty is
to be a voice for the alumni.
That becomes very important to you in about two hours
because you will join that club.
So we want you to participate and help us with that voice.
But there are other things we do to.
Through the Alumni Association, the Ridley Scholarship Fund
was set up for black students.
I hope some of you here, today, have benefited
from those scholarships.
The Jefferson Scholars Program began in Alumni Hall.
Any of you who are athletes and have received
a scholarship from the Athletics Foundation, that also
started in Alumni Hall.
We also have a Liaison Program that
educates alumni children to what it takes
to get into the university.
We also publish the Virginia magazine,
support over $2 million in scholarships,
and the Parents Fund.
One of the areas that we have become extremely active in
is the Jefferson Trust Program.
Right now, that is probably as exciting a thing as we do.
It brings students, faculty, and alumni
together with ideas that will benefit the University.
In short, it turns thoughts into action.
But as I said earlier, our main role is to represent you.
We need to be your voice to the University,
and we can't be that unless you are part of us.
We need you to participate.
We need you to come to these reunions,
to become a life member of the Association,
and to take part in your local chapter meetings,
and to take the opportunity to make us better.
So we can't be your voice unless you're part of us.
So again, I'm very proud of all of you.
I look forward to your future.
And I congratulate you, again, and remember, 200 and 40.
[APPLAUSE]
The president of the university.
We're getting close.
Thank you, Mr. Smith.
We are fortunate, as you know, to have
a strong and tight knit community of alumni
whose time on grounds profoundly shaped their lives.
And I'm grateful that so many of those alumni
have worked so hard and given so much so that others
can have the same experience.
Those of you who graduate today have benefited
from the generosity of alumni, parents, and friends
in ways large and small.
And I want to thank all of you who
have already joined in this tradition
through your class gift.
I'd also like to acknowledge the recipients of one
of the University's highest honors.
The Raven Society, as you may know,
is the oldest and most prestigious university
organization, recognizing students
who have distinguished themselves academically
and contributed to the life of the University.
With us, today, are two alumni receiving a Raven Society
Award, Richard Mayo and Allen Groves.
Richard and Allen, will you please stand?
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you.
At this point, I'm the only person
keeping you from your school ceremonies
and celebrating with your family and friends,
and which is why I'd like to spend about 45 minutes going
over a few things.
[LAUGHTER]
Actually, I just have one more thing to say to you.
But before that, I know that this is your day,
but I wonder if you could indulge me and do me a favor.
Today is my daughter, Phoebe's, 13th birthday.
Aww.
I know.
And as delighted as I am to be with you,
I'm sad that I'm not going to be with her.
She's in Massachusetts with my wife,
Katie, and our son, Ben, who's finishing up his senior year.
So they've been in Massachusetts all year.
So I'm not going to be with her, today, on her 13th birthday.
And I'm wondering, if I say one, two, three,
we can all say happy birthday to Phoebe,
and maybe she'll hear us in Massachusetts.
[APPLAUSE]
Does that work?
OK.
One, two, three--
ALL: Happy birthday, Phoebe.
Awesome.
All right.
Thanks.
[APPLAUSE]
OK.
So here's the one simple request I have,
which will echo some of Dr. Webb's remarks,
and that is to remember what happened here.
And when I say that, I'm not just
talking about remembering a specific class you took
or an event that happened, although, of course,
I hope you do.
Instead, I want you to remember the feeling of being here
in this place with these people, and to carry it with you.
Remember what it felt like to be surrounded
by a diverse group of fellow students
who were as compassionate as they were talented.
Remember what it felt like to explore in ways you never
had before, and to learn from professors
who loved the subject so much that you couldn't help
but get excited about it, too.
Remember what it felt like to live with your friends.
You'll find that you don't need a lot of friends in your life,
but you absolutely do need some rock solid ones,
and I hope you've met some of them here.
Maybe even some of you have met a future spouse,
like I did many years ago.
Remember what it felt like to build bridges reaching out
to get to know someone or someplace different
and how it ended up changing you.
Remember how it felt to serve others and the satisfaction
that came from devoting your time and energy to something
bigger than yourself.
Remember how it felt the first time that you realized that,
in streaking, as in life--
[LAUGHTER]
--it's important to leave enough gas in the tank for the return
trip.
[LAUGHTER]
So I've been told.
If you remember all of this, I have no doubt
that you will carry with you the very best of this place
as you face, with courage and purpose, the road ahead.
A road which will, at various turns, be beautiful, tragic,
joyous, and challenging.
And should that road ever lead you back to Charlottesville,
please know that we'll leave the lights on for you.
And finally, I hope you remember the words to this song, which
you are about to sing for the very first time as graduates
of the University of Virginia.
Congratulations, class of 2019 and good luck.
[APPLAUSE]
Departmental graduation ceremonies
scheduled for this afternoon will take place
at fair weather locations.
However, due to the threat for storms after 3:00 PM,
the ceremonies for Economics and History
will take place at their inclement weather locations.
All ceremonies will begin after graduates and their guests
have had ample time to reach their ceremony sites.
If your ceremony site is scheduled
to begin at 1:00 PM or sooner, please proceed directly there.
Graduates, please stand for the singing of "The Good Old Song."
[CHEERING]
[MUSIC - "THE GOOD OLD SONG"]
[INAUDIBLE CROWD SINGING]
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]