WSU MBA Lake Campus Graduation Speech of Ted Holthaus- July 15, 2011

Good Evening. 

WOW!  Can you believe it?  We have finally completed the Masters of Business Administration degree program!  Tonight is certainly a time for celebration!

…I am so very proud to represent this MBA cohort class of friends.  We have met as students here on Friday nights and Saturdays for the past two years, and it is bittersweet to know that tonight is the last time we will meet as students here.

INTRODUCTION OF CLASSMATES

I have come to realize that the people over there, dressed in their black robes, are not normal!  They’re just not normal.  Some may even think they are quite strange.  I mean, how many people do you know that would give up their Friday nights and Saturdays, and spend countless hours studying throughout the week, for over 2 years, just to go to school?  Many people would probably choose the easier path to go through life, often finding shortcuts.  By committing themselves to advanced studies, here are some extraordinary people, dedicated to improving their lives for themselves and for their families, with a burning desire to learn more and position themselves for better opportunities.  They are, in fact, well above normal, and I have tremendous respect for each one of them, and I thank each of them for contributing to my experiences at Wright State.  Congratulations!

THANK YOU TO FAMILY, SUPPORTERS AND FACULTY

….It is truly an honor and a privilege to be here, and I would also like to introduce and congratulate all the supporters of this entire class.  As I recognize you, could you please stand, and continue to remain standing until asked to be seated.  

All of you helped all of us get here today – and because of you, no one had to walk across this stage today alone.  Our graduation would not have been possible without your support and understanding.  We appreciate and recognize the confidence, devotion, guidance and assistance freely given in helping us obtain this important milestone in our life.  Everybody got here today because somebody helped them, and now I ask the entire graduating class to please stand and join me with their applause in thanking all of our supporters….

I especially appreciate and thank the faculty that delivered challenging and practical applications of “real business world” and industry experience and those that taught current subject matter that is relevant in today’s’ fast changing global economy.  We learned the importance of staying current and on the leading edge in whatever industry or job we have.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO EARN THE MBA DEGREE?

The Masters of Business Administration or MBA degree program is designed to develop successful and ethical business leaders, with a cross-functional understanding of the total business environment and the vision to see opportunities in the global marketplace.
Wright State University offers several MBA programs in which students choose to concentrate in.  MBA Concentrations within this graduating class include Finance, Economics, Health Care Management, Marketing, International Business, Project Management, and Management, Innovation and Change.
As students here, we were immersed in a culture of innovation that prepared us to embrace and formulate new ideas.  Classroom theories were applied to workplace challenges. We learned to collaborate and work effectively in teams across and within functional areas; enhanced our communication and leadership skills; sharpened our critical and analytical thinking; deepened our ethical-decision making in a business context, and pro-actively anticipated rapidly changing business challenges in a global economy.  The MBA program taught us a great deal about the importance of humility and self-awareness, and to more effectively lead teams based on the strengths of each member. We have built a strong supportive network of fellow students from different professions, backgrounds and nationalities.
The diverse backgrounds and work experiences within this cohort include Engineers, Executive Assistants, Accountants and CPA’s, Job Seekers, Auto Restoration Specialists, Pharmaceutical Sales, Developmental Disabilities Managers, University Public Relations Directors and Services, Logistics Managers, Human Resources Managers, Nursing Administrators, Insurance Communications and Marketing Managers, and Business Management.

SO, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Here are five questions that I think everyone should ask themselves: What is your mission?  Who will you impact? What do you value? What are your results? And, What is your plan?  While I believe that it’s important to have goals and a plan, I am also a realist and know that some things work out the way we planned for, and some things simply do not.
There may be times when events in our lives, events that we didn’t expect, may throw us off track and change the course of the path we are on.  We should be prepared for that.  For me, completing the MBA degree was something I wanted to do for a very long time, but life’s events just happened to change the path I was on, and just made that path a little longer to complete. When my daughter died almost 12 years ago, it was certainly a time that threw me off track and caused me to try to make sense out of life’s events.  It was indeed a sad time, but also a time that taught me a great deal about how to put things into perspective. Around that time, I came across this verse from Ecclesiastes that has since been a real inspiration and moral compass to me in making sense out of life’s events… for everything there is a season.

A Time for Everything
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,…
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,…
a time to search and a time to give up,…
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,..

I have this special verse inscribed on the back of my watch to remind me every day to put things into perspective; that no matter what the event, there is a time for everything, and a reason for every season in our lives.  Education is a life-long process. We can learn something from everything that life throws at us.  When things don’t go well, I just think to myself, “Well, it must be one of those times.”  But today, my friends, is a time to celebrate and dance!

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MBA DEGREE TO OUR CAREERS?

How will the MBA degree change your life?  Our lives will change; We may not yet know how our life will change because of achieving the MBA, but it will most certainly change.

In the years that we have studied together, there have already been significant changes and events within our cohort.  There have been new marriages and life changes; new homes and moves; there have been joyous additions to families and, sadly, some losses of loved ones too.  Some have found new employment or achieved promotions at work, while others are still desperately seeking employment in this slow economy.  It is especially encouraging for me that a few classmates are even considering working towards their PhD, and I look forward to celebrating with them on their graduation day.

What will the future hold for you? People probably have already asked you, or may ask you, “Now that you have your MBA, how much more money will you make?” The harder question to answer may be, "if you did not need the money, what job would you do and why?"  At the end of the day, that could be the best question we could answer if it helps us to get to the core of who we are, and why we choose to do the things we do.  Some people lock themselves into a miserable career because they fear the thought of losing their current income.  Changing their job could be the best thing they ever did, IF it gets them to do something that they are truly passionate about.  The drive to acquire makes one vulnerable to not understanding what is really most important.  We should all fear the thought of losing who we are, more than the thought of losing what we make.

Earlier this year in San Antonio, I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Chris Gardner.  Chris is the author of the autobiography, "In Pursuit of Happiness", the #1 New York Times bestseller that inspired the movie portrayed by Will Smith. Chris Gardner’s real-life story, "In Pursuit of Happiness", is truly a remarkable story of a man who lost his job and ultimately became homeless, but did not lose his motivation to succeed.  His motivation was not money!  Motivated by the promise he made to himself as a fatherless child to never abandon his own children, he and his young son spent over a year moving among homeless shelters and public places.  He was motivated by his commitment to his son, not to his commitment to a job or income.  This self-motivation led Chris Gardner to make an astonishing transformation from being part of the city's very poor to being a powerful player in the financial district.  And all along the way, he never lost sight of what was truly important to him, his only family, his son.
So, I ask you this: What motivates you?  What motivates the people around you?

The last thing I will say to you today is this: all of my fellow classmates and graduates, YOU are in a position to go forward; the time is right, the season is now, and I encourage you, that whatever you do for the rest of your life, always, always, pursue happiness.