Business Administration | Commencement Fall 2020
CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATES FOR YOUR PERSISTENCE, DETERMINATION AND HARD WORK YOU'VE SHOWN BY COMPLETING YOUR DEGREES, ESPECIALLY IN THE HISTORIC CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WHILE THIS CERTAINLY ISN'T THE CELEBRATION WE ALL HAD PLANNED, WE ARE THRILLED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE YOU THROUGH THIS VIRTUAL CELEBRATION. AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADAPTABILITY IN COMPLETING YOUR DEGREES, SWITCHING TO REMOTE LEARNING, RETURNING TO CAMPUS, BACK TO REMOTE LEARNING. THROUGH ALL OF THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN COMPLETE RESILIENCE.
REMEMBER TO THANK TO YOUR PROFESSORS, INSTRUCTORS AND K-STATE STAFF MEMBERS FOR ALL THEY HAVE DONE TO HELP YOU. ALSO REMEMBER TO THANK FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR THEIR SUPPORT AS WELL. YOUR K-STATE DEGREE WILL SERVE YOU WELL.
YOU ARE GRADUATING FROM A PREMIER LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY. MANY K-STATE GRADUATES HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN THEIR CAREERS; THE CLASS OF 2020 WILL BE NO DIFFERENT. USE YOUR DEGREE TO FULFILL K-STATE'S LAND-GRANT MISSION OF SERVING YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR STATE, YOUR NATION AND YOUR WORLD. PLEASE STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR ALMA MATER. STAY ENGAGED THROUGH THE K-STATE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. SUPPORT K-STATE AND FUTURE GRADUATES WHETHER THROUGH YOUR TIME, TALENT AND YOUR RESOURCES.
COME BACK TO CAMPUS OFTEN. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN US FOR FORMAL COMMENCEMENT NEXT SPRING TO TAKE YOUR TURN WALKING ACROSS THE STAGE. STUDENTS - CONGRATULATIONS. THE MOMENT WE ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARD FOR SO LONG IS FINALLY HERE.
NOW, I KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T EXACTLY THE END TO OUR K-STATE JOURNEY'S THAT WE ENVISIONED WHEN WE STARTED OUT HERE. WHEN WE ALL LEFT FOR SPRING BREAK LAST YEAR, NONE OF US COULD HAVE PREDICTED THE VERY REAL CHALLENGES THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH WHEN WE CAME BACK JUST A WEEK LATER. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I HAVE CERTAINLY LEARNED A LOT SINCE THEN. I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE MY TIME IN NEW WAYS, HOW TO ADAPT TO ONLINE SCHOOLING AND MEETINGS, AND HOW TO TAKE A MYRIAD OF HEALTH PRECAUTIONS AND PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR MYSELF AND THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. BUT, THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON I'VE LEARNED, IS TO NEVER AGAIN TAKE FOR GRANTED, THE SOMETIMES SMALL YET SIGNIFICANT PERSONAL TOUCHES THAT MAKE THIS STATE, MAKE THIS TOWN, AND MAKE THIS UNIVERSITY SO SPECIAL. I WILL NEVER AGAIN TAKE FOR GRANTED, THE COMMUNITY AND CAMARADERIE THAT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE CAPABLE OF CULTIVATING IN THE CLASSROOM.
I WILL NEVER AGAIN TAKE FOR GRANTED, THE FEELING OF FAMILY AND FULFILLMENT, FOSTERED THROUGH FRIENDSHIP ON AND OFF CAMPUS. AND, I WILL NEVER AGAIN TAKE FOR GRANTED, THE ROOTEDNESS AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT THIS SPOT I KNOW AND LOVE FULL WELL, HAS GIVEN ME. I KNOW THAT THIS ISN'T HOW ANY OF US IMAGINED THIS DAY TO GO DOWN. THE TRUTH IS WE'RE LEAVING K-STATE DURING A PRETTY TOUGH TIME - THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO NAVIGATE.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CRISES WE CURRENTLY FACE, CONTINUE TO DISRUPT OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND US. HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS: WE'RE WILDCATS, WE'VE GOT GRIT, WE'VE GOT RESILIENCE, AND WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS, JUST LIKE WE GOT THROUGH THIS YEAR. ALL THE LATE-NIGHT STUDYING, GROUP PROJECTS, HOMEWORK, AND EXAMS - IT'S ALL PREPARED US FOR THIS MOMENT. THAT'S NOT A PLATITUDE, THAT'S NOT RHETORIC, IT'S REALITY! ONE OF MY PERSONAL HEROES, BOBBY KENNEDY ONCE SAID, "FOR THE FORTUNATE AMONG US, THERE IS THE TEMPTATION TO FOLLOW THE EASY AND FAMILIAR PATHS OF PERSONAL AMBITION AND FINANCIAL SUCCESS SO GRANDLY SPREAD BEFORE THOSE WHO ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF EDUCATION.
BUT THAT IS NOT THE ROAD HISTORY HAS MARKED OUT FOR US. LIKE IT OR NOT, WE LIVE IN TIMES OF DANGER AND UNCERTAINTY. BUT THEY ARE ALSO MORE OPEN TO THE CREATIVE ENERGY OF MEN THAN ANY OTHER TIME IN HISTORY." THOSE WORDS SPOKEN 50 YEARS AGO TODAY, COULD NOT BE MORE RELEVANT. WE ARE THE FORTUNATE KENNEDY SPOKE OF.
THE ONLY CHOICE WE HAVE IS WHETHER OR NOT WE WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND USE WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBOR AND TO SOLVE THE COLLECTIVE CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US. IT'S UP TO EACH OF US, TO BRING THAT SAME GRIT, RESILIENCE AND DETERMINATION INTO WHATEVER OUR NEXT CALLING IS. GRADUATES - CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, GO CATS AND LET'S DO THIS! WELCOME, GRADUATING SENIORS, TO THE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. I AM KEVIN GWINNER, DEAN OF THE COLLEGE. I AM DELIGHTED TO BE HERE TODAY TO MARK THIS SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT IN THE LIVES OF OUR GRADUATES - AN ACHIEVEMENT THAT RECOGNIZES YOUR YEARS OF HARD WORK AND SACRIFICE IN THE PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE, A MEANINGFUL CAREER AND A PROMISING FUTURE. GRADUATES, TODAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES. NO ONE IS HAPPIER OR PROUDER OF YOUR EDUCATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAN YOUR LOVED ONES. I WANT TO TAKE THIS MOMENT
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT YOUR FAMILIES HAVE PROVIDED FOR YOUR SUCCESS. THANK YOU PARENTS, SPOUSES, CHILDREN AND GRANDPARENTS OF OUR GRADUATES. YOUR SACRIFICES AND SUPPORT HAVE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE SUCCESS OF YOUR GRADUATE. LET ME SAY THIS CEREMONY IS NOT WHAT YOU HAVE DREAMED OF AND IT IS NOT WHAT WE WOULD PLAN FOR YOU, BUT REGARDLESS OF THE CEREMONY, THE FACT IS THAT TODAY YOU ARE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE AND WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS. IN THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS, WE SET A HIGH BAR FOR OUR GRADUATES. THE COURSE WORK IS RIGOROUS, THE ROAD IS LONG, AND NOT EVERYONE IS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE WORK TO RECEIVE HIS OR HER DEGREE.
HOWEVER, YOU HAVE DONE SO. WE IN THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU, AND YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOURSELF. OF COURSE, SINCE LAST MARCH, YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS ADDED ADDITIONAL HURDLES IN YOUR PATH TOWARD A COLLEGE DEGREE. YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CLASS OF 2020 - THE COVID YEAR. YOU WILL SHARE THAT UNIQUENESS WITH YOUR PEERS THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE.
YOUR CLASS HAS FACED A MULTITUDE OF CHALLENGES IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS. YET, DESPITE ALL THE OBSTACLES, YOU HAVE PERSEVERED, ENDURED, AND ACHIEVED YOUR ACADEMIC GOALS. YOUR RESPONSE TO THE CHALLENGES TELLS ME HOW WELL YOU WILL RESPOND TO ANY CHALLENGE THAT YOU WILL FACE GOING FORWARD. WE USE THE TERM "FAMILY" AT K-STATE QUITE A BIT. YOU ARE OUR ALUMNI AND WE ARE YOUR COLLEGE. LIKE FAMILY, THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE. FAMILIES CELEBRATE TOGETHER, KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER,
AND HELP EACH OTHER. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US AND COME BACK OFTEN TO CAMPUS. LET US KNOW OF YOUR SUCCESSES SO THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE WITH YOU. IN ADDITION, WE NEED YOUR HELP IN PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF K-STATE BUSINESS GRADUATES. JUST AS YOU HAVE LIKELY BENEFITED FROM THE ENGAGEMENT OF PAST ALUMNI OVER YOUR TIME AT K-STATE, SO TOO DO WE HOPE YOU WILL LEND YOUR TIME AND TALENT TO HELPING FUTURE STUDENTS AS YOU PROGRESS THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER. WE ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK TO US AS YOUR SOURCE FOR LIFE-LONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. AS YOU SEEK TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL SKILLS THAT WILL HELP, YOU PREPARE TO MEET NEW CHALLENGES IN YOUR BUSINESS CAREER, KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE WITH ADDITIONAL TRAINING AND EVEN GRADUATE DEGREES TO HELP YOU ON THAT PATH. THE GREEK PHILOSOPHER, SOCRATES ONCE SAID, "EDUCATION IS THE KINDLING OF A FLAME,
NOT THE FILLING OF A VESSEL." SO REMEMBER, AS YOU START YOUR CAREERS IN BUSINESS, THAT YOU ARE NEVER DONE LEARNING AND IN SOME WAYS, YOU ARE ALWAYS A STUDENT. LET ME TRANSITION FROM THE WISDOM OF SOCRATES, TO ANOTHER ESTEEMED PHILOSOPHER, WINNE THE POOH, WHO SAID, "YOU ARE BRAVER THAT YOU BELIEVE, STRONGER THAN YOU SEEM, AND SMARTER THAN YOU THINK." YOUR SUCCESS AS A 2020 K-STATE BUSINESS GRADUATE PROVES THOSE WORDS. I HOPE YOU TRULY REALIZE
JUST HOW BRAVE, AND STRONG, AND SMART YOU ARE. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BRAVELY LIVE OUT YOUR VALUES AND ALWAYS SHOW A STRENGTH OF CHARACTER THAT WILL MAKE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY PROUD. AND REMEMBER, YOU ARE SMART BECAUSE YOU CHOSE TO BE A K-STATE GRADUATE, WHICH MAKES YOU A PART OF THE K-STATE FAMILY FOREVER. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR GRADUATION!
WE ARE NOW READY TO CONFER DEGREES UPON THE DEGREE CANDIDATES FROM THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. I WOULD ASK THAT ALL THOSE GRADUATING TODAY FROM THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION WHO ARE WATCHING THIS VIDEO TO PLEASE RISE AND REMAIN STANDING. BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF KANSAS AND THE KANSAS BOARD OF REGENTS, AND UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FACULTY, I AM PLEASED TO CONFER UPON YOU THE DEGREE YOU HAVE EARNED AT KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY.
YOU MAY NOW MOVE THE TASSEL TO THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR MORTARBOARD. CONGRATULATIONS. GRADUATES, IT HAS BEEN THE PRIVILEGE OF THE COLLEGE'S ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, AND STAFF TO WORK WITH YOU OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AS YOU VENTURE OUT, WITH DEGREE IN HAND, TO CONQUER YOUR NEXT CHALLENGE. CONGRATULATIONS! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU BACK ON CAMPUS AS OUR ALUMNI FOR YEARS TO COME.
2020-12-21 10:00
