May 2023 Commencement Speech

Curt Bright Author

05/20/2023 Added

301 Plays

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Chancellor Ronnie Green delivers the commencement address.

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[00:00:00.000]Your University of Nebraska-Lincoln chancellor,
[00:00:02.850]Dr. Ronnie Green.
[00:00:04.505](audience applauds)
[00:00:17.280]Wow, thank you for that most gracious introduction, Ted.
[00:00:22.530]I have to kind of
[00:00:25.860]say what Tim Clare said up here a moment ago,
[00:00:28.320]it's when you stand up in front of this group of talent
[00:00:32.580]and you think about what you're going
[00:00:33.990]to be able to do in the future,
[00:00:35.550]it is a surreal kind of moment.
[00:00:39.210]I cannot begin to express to you
[00:00:42.150]what an overwhelming privilege, honor,
[00:00:44.490]and indeed joy it is for me
[00:00:47.250]to have the opportunity to address you today
[00:00:50.550]as the Nebraska graduating class of 2023.
[00:00:55.920]We have been through an incredible journey these past four,
[00:00:59.580]and I'm guessing maybe for a few of you,
[00:01:01.680]one or two more, years together.
[00:01:05.940]I distinctly remember you
[00:01:08.640]as the class that came in brimming with hope
[00:01:11.880]in the summer of 2019,
[00:01:14.700]the year we were celebrating the 150th anniversary
[00:01:17.790]of this great institution that we love,
[00:01:21.090]welcoming you to campus
[00:01:23.220]and anticipating the exciting journey
[00:01:26.220]that lay ahead for you.
[00:01:28.530]You ran with unbridled enthusiasm into this stadium
[00:01:31.680]from right over there
[00:01:33.360]to make your N on that sunny day of August the 23rd.
[00:01:38.040]And afterwards, Jane and I got the chance
[00:01:40.620]to meet with so many of you
[00:01:43.020]at our first ever barbecue on the Union Commons.
[00:01:46.860]There was no doubt in our minds
[00:01:49.920]that great things were to come
[00:01:52.440]and that you would be the best class ever at Nebraska.
[00:01:57.210]So to borrow a couple of words from your generation,
[00:02:01.500]you slay.
[00:02:03.245](audience laughs)
[00:02:07.740]You know, and then in your freshman year,
[00:02:11.160]our world changed,
[00:02:13.710]first very dramatically on March 8th, 2020,
[00:02:18.330]and then again and again over the following couple of years
[00:02:22.680]in ways, quite frankly,
[00:02:24.810]that we could have never imagined or anticipated.
[00:02:28.650]And yet here we are
[00:02:30.360]celebrating this pinnacle lifetime achievement
[00:02:32.970]for each of you as our best class ever.
[00:02:37.140]And unbelievably for you as for me as your chancellor,
[00:02:42.000]for you to be yet another record graduating class
[00:02:45.660]for this institution,
[00:02:47.370]the fourth in the past six years for your university.
[00:02:52.140]And that deserves a round of applause, ladies and gentlemen.
[00:02:55.114](audience applauds)
[00:03:00.210]And it's even more special for me personally
[00:03:03.150]in this 21st commencement as UNL chancellor
[00:03:06.120]and 31st in my last 13 years here at UNL
[00:03:10.200]to be sharing in your commencement
[00:03:12.540]together with my own into the sunset.
[00:03:16.590]While at graduation we typically say things like,
[00:03:19.470]you know, "This momentous occasion is a testament
[00:03:22.560]to your resilience, your perseverance,
[00:03:24.780]your hard work, your grit."
[00:03:27.150]You really have faced obstacles
[00:03:30.150]and overcame them with determination and with grace.
[00:03:35.640]You truly have shown us
[00:03:37.590]that even in what seems like the most difficult of times,
[00:03:41.490]there is hope,
[00:03:43.110]and in and through you,
[00:03:44.820]potential for such great things
[00:03:46.770]for our collective future and our public good.
[00:03:51.000]Now, I've heard some
[00:03:51.930]absolutely amazing commencement addresses
[00:03:54.420]over the last 13 years here at UNL,
[00:03:57.480]so I have to admit that it is a bit intimidating
[00:04:00.600]to know that this first-gen educated,
[00:04:02.670]kinda straightforward farm boy from the hills of Virginia,
[00:04:06.930]that I would have anything possibly I could say to you
[00:04:10.530]that would measure up.
[00:04:13.350]And yes, maybe might even cut through some of the fog,
[00:04:16.440]leftover fog for some of you from O Street last night,
[00:04:19.380]you know, just sayin'.
[00:04:20.759](audience laughs)
[00:04:22.950]You can relax.
[00:04:24.570]I'm going to keep the message short, simple, and sweet,
[00:04:27.810]but I do hope that it will be meaningful
[00:04:30.150]and that you will carry it with you in a special way.
[00:04:34.830]Many of you have heard of the legacy
[00:04:36.780]of an outstanding Husker and Nebraskan named Sam Foltz.
[00:04:41.370]Sam was a farm kid from Greeley, Nebraska
[00:04:44.250]who came to UNL to study agronomy
[00:04:47.100]and became a heralded punter and team captain
[00:04:49.590]of our Husker football team,
[00:04:51.660]wearing jersey number 27.
[00:04:54.870]He graduated with honors
[00:04:56.280]with a BS in Agronomy in May of 2016,
[00:04:59.730]coincidentally the month that I began service
[00:05:03.210]as UN's chancellor.
[00:05:05.670]We lost Sam and his friend Michigan State punter Mike Sadler
[00:05:10.080]in July of 2016 in a tragic car accident.
[00:05:15.210]Sam was poised for what promised
[00:05:17.070]to be a banner final playing year as team captain,
[00:05:20.460]with an expected NFL draft ahead
[00:05:23.760]while he continued to learn
[00:05:25.680]in pursuing graduate education.
[00:05:28.830]To say that Husker Nation was devastated
[00:05:31.800]is a major understatement.
[00:05:33.630]I remember so well standing with his teammates
[00:05:36.390]in prayer the next day just to our north here
[00:05:39.180]at the Brook Berringer and Tom Osborne statue.
[00:05:43.110]Sam's parents, Jill and Gerald Foltz,
[00:05:45.600]had become dear friends to Jane and me
[00:05:48.030]and indeed to all of UNL and Nebraska.
[00:05:52.080]They would've been here today,
[00:05:53.940]but just like them,
[00:05:55.380]they're working hard at home
[00:05:56.850]to get the crop in the field
[00:05:59.580]from delays that they've had recently
[00:06:02.010]from some badly needed thankful rains.
[00:06:05.640]I want Sam's credo to speak to you today as you commence,
[00:06:10.860]as these words have powerfully been for me
[00:06:13.140]and so many others these past seven years.
[00:06:17.100]You may have seen or heard them before.
[00:06:19.950]They're simple but profound,
[00:06:22.890]and they are highly instructive for all of us.
[00:06:26.610]Dream big, work hard,
[00:06:29.580]stay humble.
[00:06:31.980]Dream big.
[00:06:33.960]More than words,
[00:06:34.830]this is a call to action,
[00:06:36.930]a mindset to live by.
[00:06:39.090]Anything is possible if we have the courage to imagine it,
[00:06:43.470]to visualize it,
[00:06:45.150]and to work towards it.
[00:06:47.550]As you set out into the world,
[00:06:49.020]I encourage you to dream big,
[00:06:51.000]to imagine the impossible,
[00:06:52.920]and to never give up on your goals and aspirations.
[00:06:56.940]Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh captured it well
[00:06:59.520]in these familiar lyrics from the "Man from La Mancha."
[00:07:02.587]"To dream the impossible dream,
[00:07:04.740]to fight the unbeatable foe,
[00:07:06.960]to bear with unbearable sorrow,
[00:07:09.570]to run where the brave dare not go."
[00:07:13.080]These words remind us that life will not always be easy,
[00:07:16.800]that the road ahead may be filled
[00:07:18.660]with obstacles and challenges,
[00:07:20.820]but that with determination, courage, and commitment,
[00:07:24.090]you can overcome any obstacle and achieve any dream,
[00:07:28.500]all the while hopefully sowing good in the world.
[00:07:34.290]Work hard.
[00:07:36.210]Any one of our four Nebraskan Green children,
[00:07:39.270]who are all UNL alums,
[00:07:40.710]and we're very happy to have here with us today,
[00:07:44.130]will tell you that these two words are the two
[00:07:46.440]that they have heard more than any other from you know who.
[00:07:50.550]I learned them from my salt-of-the-earth parents,
[00:07:53.640]and they're a way of life.
[00:07:56.310]They remind us that success is not guaranteed,
[00:07:59.940]inevitable, entitled,
[00:08:02.310]or handed to us on a silver platter,
[00:08:04.980]but must be earned through dedication, discipline,
[00:08:08.340]and a willingness to push ourselves beyond our limits,
[00:08:11.970]just as you have done in achieving your academic degree
[00:08:15.870]under these extraordinary circumstances.
[00:08:19.290]As you work to achieve your dreams
[00:08:21.060]and make a positive impact on the world around you,
[00:08:23.940]never forget the importance of committed hard work,
[00:08:27.870]of pushing yourself off and beyond
[00:08:29.790]what you thought was possible,
[00:08:31.500]and of using your talents and abilities to serve others,
[00:08:35.940]all the while with that work focused
[00:08:38.850]on sowing good in the world,
[00:08:41.880]and I hope time for you to have a little fun as well.
[00:08:47.250]Stay humble.
[00:08:49.380]Contrary to what the world would like for us to believe,
[00:08:52.830]true greatness is not measured by worldly accomplishments,
[00:08:56.700]by material wealth,
[00:08:58.530]by power or prestige or privilege,
[00:09:01.950]but by our ability to connect with,
[00:09:04.320]empathize with, and serve others.
[00:09:08.370]As you go out into the world and achieve great things,
[00:09:11.190]which I have no doubt that you are going to do,
[00:09:14.970]remember to stay humble,
[00:09:17.070]to recognize your own limitations,
[00:09:19.440]and to continually be listening to and learning from others,
[00:09:24.540]all the while with that humility focused
[00:09:27.990]on sowing good in the world.
[00:09:32.040]You might have picked up on a qualifier
[00:09:33.900]that I added to each of Sam's three truths,
[00:09:37.380]that last bit of while always sowing good in the world.
[00:09:43.410]I suspect that there may be some of you thinking that
[00:09:46.620]that is altruistic,
[00:09:47.910]maybe a little bit idealistic.
[00:09:50.880]I challenge you to dismiss that thought
[00:09:53.310]because I can assure you that it isn't.
[00:09:57.060]Everything, and I mean everything,
[00:09:59.400]we do should be directed
[00:10:01.410]at sowing good in the world.
[00:10:04.830]I recall the point at which this became so vivid to me.
[00:10:08.820]I was in my dream job at Colorado State University
[00:10:11.670]on the faculty as an animal scientist in 1996.
[00:10:15.660]It was December of that year.
[00:10:18.330]Jane and I had just been blessed to complete
[00:10:20.490]our family of four incredible youngsters that summer,
[00:10:23.790]with the birth of our youngest daughter, Regan,
[00:10:26.250]who, Ted mentioned just a moment ago,
[00:10:28.230]just got engaged last weekend.
[00:10:30.240]Yes, we are ecstatic to be gaining another son.
[00:10:33.930]And I was going through at that time
[00:10:37.260]the evaluation of my professional record
[00:10:39.450]to be promoted to full professor with tenure.
[00:10:43.110]It was a pinnacle moment in professional
[00:10:45.420]and personal life all at one time.
[00:10:49.050]I taught a major required junior level lecture course
[00:10:52.050]in animal genetics every semester for around 200 students,
[00:10:55.830]and I loved teaching that class
[00:10:58.200]and every one of those students.
[00:11:01.470]The final day of the class,
[00:11:03.270]I had just submitted a 300+ page dossier
[00:11:06.690]of my professional accomplishments
[00:11:08.400]for the process for promotion.
[00:11:11.790]I was drained,
[00:11:13.290]but from deep within me
[00:11:14.490]I intuitively felt the need at that moment
[00:11:17.610]to teach life to the students in the class,
[00:11:20.460]many of whom I still hear from yet today.
[00:11:24.780]My message and reflection was simple to them,
[00:11:27.930]that I hoped that every line
[00:11:29.550]that would ultimately be in their professional
[00:11:32.130]and personal dossier would be for the good of others,
[00:11:36.060]that it would matter in having made the world a better place
[00:11:39.870]and not have been simply for personal gain
[00:11:43.080]or what was supposed to be.
[00:11:45.810]Sowing good is not altruistic or idealistic,
[00:11:48.960]it really matters,
[00:11:51.510]For Jane and I,
[00:11:52.860]that next step is decidedly
[00:11:54.660]reentering Christian lay ministry work,
[00:11:57.210]reengaging with the animal protein and ag industries,
[00:12:00.090]and by the way, eat more beef every day,
[00:12:02.820]and nurturing and helping
[00:12:04.050]to grow the next generation of our family.
[00:12:07.170]And to say that we are jazzed about it
[00:12:09.750]is a big understatement.
[00:12:12.420]Finally, I want to leave you with a few lines from a song
[00:12:17.190]that always resonated so much with me
[00:12:19.560]since first hearing it performed by its composer,
[00:12:23.130]the talented folk singer and dear friend of ours,
[00:12:25.770]Susan Werner.
[00:12:27.540]We commissioned it for an album called "Hayseed" in 2012
[00:12:31.620]through our Lied Center of Performing Arts
[00:12:33.570]for the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act,
[00:12:36.420]one of the most important congressional acts ever
[00:12:39.390]that worked to establish
[00:12:40.650]our America's land grant universities.
[00:12:44.100]Our daughter Kelli sang this song
[00:12:46.080]at my formal investiture as chancellor in April of 2017.
[00:12:50.820]It fits so well for you as you commence today
[00:12:54.780]that I wanted to share it with you.
[00:12:57.240]Please turn your attention to the big screen.
[00:13:05.334]♪ May I suggest ♪
[00:13:08.269]♪ May I suggest to you ♪
[00:13:11.335]♪ May I suggest this is the best part of your life ♪
[00:13:18.082]♪ There is a hope that's been expressed in you ♪
[00:13:23.901]♪ It's the hope of seven generations ♪
[00:13:26.779]♪ Maybe more ♪
[00:13:29.200]♪ And this is the faith that they invest in you ♪
[00:13:35.078]♪ It's that you'll do one better than was done before ♪
[00:13:41.250]♪ And inside you who know ♪
[00:13:44.484]♪ Inside you understand ♪
[00:13:47.657]♪ Inside you know what's yours to finally set right ♪
[00:13:53.603]♪ And I suggest ♪
[00:13:56.562]♪ Yes, I suggest to you ♪
[00:14:00.007]♪ Yes, I suggest this is the best part of your life ♪
[00:14:07.170]Indeed, this is the best part of your life,
[00:14:10.800]with much to come. (audience applauds)
[00:14:13.530]Always dream big,
[00:14:15.690]work hard, and stay humble.
[00:14:18.570]I can hardly wait to see all of the good
[00:14:21.000]that you will collectively sow in the world
[00:14:24.000]undergirded with your phenomenal education here at Nebraska.
[00:14:27.960]Congratulations to each and every one of you,
[00:14:30.120]now do big and good things,
[00:14:32.430]and as always and forever,
[00:14:34.470]Go Big Red!
[00:14:36.014](audience applauds)

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May 2023 Commencement Speech

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