Student Graduation Speech 2009
By Dave Bolton
9th May 2009, St. Marylebone Parrish Church
Ladies, Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests,
Friends, Family and members of the Faculty, there comes a time in
awards ceremonies when someone not used to public speaking gets to
stand up and be the centre of attention for a few minutes.
A short time for you perhaps, this is going to
seem like an eternity for me.
In January, I was asked by the Faculty to give
the speech at the Webster University Graduation Ceremony on behalf
of the graduates and two thoughts flashed into my mind
The first was “What an honour” and the second
was “HELP!”
So after careful consideration, I agreed to
stand in front of you all this morning and attempt to put into
words what this day means to all of us graduating today from both
Regents American College London and Webster Graduate School.
Those who know me will realise that standing
up with a prepared speech is something I rarely do. Rambling with
occasional tangents, yes.......constructed speech....not really my
forte.
Like most things in life, this opportunity to
address you today came with some guidelines.
Irrespective of what we know is going on in
the world and how it is presented in the media, the speech was not
to be cynical, sarcastic or negative. I was also asked if it would
be possible to present something without having to mention Star
Wars or Paris Hilton.
The speech was to be POSITIVE AND
INSPIRATIONAL..........IT WAS TO BE UPBEAT
So ............Thanks for listening and Good
Luck in whatever career you choose
Seriously, we as students stand in front of
you after combining hard work, determination and dedication in
order to graduate from the college today.
This is our moment of affirmation......we have
used the last few years to be constructive, optimistic and
confident......
According to the Oxford English Dictionary
that is the definition of POSITIVE .......a state of mind which for
me has been a constant companion since I made the decision to
return to full time education three years ago.
A state of mind that we all can continue to
draw on as we take the next step on our chosen path.
So how can we define INSPIRATIONAL?
The dictionary mentions “Having the quality to
inspire”
What inspires us and more importantly who
encourages us?
Personally, I have always been motivated by
writers, musicians, film directors and artists, by sportsmen and
women.....certain business leaders and politicians.........and by
the sense of history and tradition that comes from being
British.
However, I wanted this speech to be more than
just a personal journey of inspiration.
I wanted it to encompass all of our hopes and
dreams. To provide not just inspiration but encouragement and
stimulation.
Not an easy thing to do in a short time.
Whilst also bearing in mind the diversity of
students that have chosen London to be their place of study.
A multi-cultural college in a
multi-cultural city.
So I took a step back and thought about where
I could get inspiration to write this speech
I decided to go on holiday
As we know, it is easy to get to various parts
of Europe from London and the existence of “no frills, cheap
airlines” means that it is not difficult to visit areas of
historical significance and find inspiration.
I went to Amsterdam, and visited the Van Gogh
museum – dedicated to a man who became a success after his death in
1890 at the young age of 37. His works of art that have survived
the test of time and have motivated many to follow in his
footsteps.
Next stop was Italy.
In Florence I admired Michelangelo’s
“David”....... first presented to the public in 1504. ......A
testament to drive and determination, that has the capacity to make
you conscious of the time and dedication required to create this
work of art,
And not just an opportunity to sell endless
souvenirs......
I headed to Rome, and crowded into the Sistine
Chapel, the ceiling painted by Michelangelo ......on his back, and
“under the supervision of the Vatican” from 1508-1512........ Four
years of his life to create and develop a work that would inspire
others after him and would leave an indelible mark on
society........
I visited the ancient Roman Ruins.......
marvelled at the longevity of the Coliseum, which was commissioned
in AD70 and took 12 years to complete and is still standing in
2009. Inspiration
achieved through gladiatorial perspiration.
Finally I arrived in Venice ....... again the
ingenuity of the engineers who built a city on marshland and the
fact that it has survived for hundreds of years is something that
cannot fail to draw admiration......... even in an age of
environmental concern, the city continues to defy nature (although
it did rain whilst I was there and there was some significant
flooding!)
Then I flew home to Gatwick Airport. It
was not inspiring.
For something to be inspirational, it has to
stir emotions. It has to make one realise our own potential and
what we wish to achieve. To become inspired, we have to question
what we believe we know.
Regent’s College seeks to bring out this
potential, the professors and the staff here want us to become
inspired but they want us to question and to enhance our own
knowledge and experience.
For that they have my thanks and my
gratitude.
As we accept our degrees today, we should
remember that success is not handed to us on a
plate......dedication to the task in hand and a desire to succeed
has played an important part in achieving our goal.
What the staff of Regents College do is ensure
that you go into the next stage of your life with the right tools
for the job.
Learning is a continuous process. To survive
the perils and pitfalls of life requires learning what are the
right and the wrong way of going about things. We learn from our
mistakes and (touch wood) we do it right the next time. Albert
Einstein once said that “Anyone who has never
made a mistake has never tried anything new.” The next
step in our lives will be to try something new, to go out into the
world and see what is out there.
If we approach it with the right attitude, we
will succeed.
I will finish today by remaining
UPBEAT.......
According to Wikipedia, Upbeat was
“a syndicated
musical variety show
produced in Cleveland, Ohio
that aired from 1964 to 1971 which spotlighted the hit songs of the
1960s .......
Interesting without being helpful.
The dictionary was slightly more what I had in
mind, and defined it as
“cheerful.... pleasantly optimistic”
This would fit perfectly with the hopes and
aspirations of all of us that sit here today having spent the last
few years immersed in our chosen subjects and we are now ready to
embrace the real world.
Even the financial uncertainty that has become
headline news can do nothing to detract from the achievements being
honoured today.
I would like to therefore add my
congratulations to the graduating classes of 2009, and also wish to
say thank you to all of the staff of Regents College, especially
the professors who have made this day a possibility for all of
us.
Thank you for listening, enjoy the rest of the
day..........and May The Force Be With You.
Page last updated 5/13/2009