Dear Graduates, honored guests, Mr. Zirkler, faculty, and friends, it is an honor for me to hold a speech here on this very special day!
Many days, weeks, months, semesters, years โ for some of you more than for others โ have passed since you first entered the LBS campus. You all hoped to reach this day, you were all optimistic that the day will come, however, some obstacles were in the way of the one or the other โฆ still, here we are. Congratulations to all of you.
Where are you going from here now โฆ business, post-grads, family โฆ zillions of possibilities and expectations out there are waiting for you. Who should you listen to? Who will give you good advice? Who wonโt? It was Joseph Campbell, a US-professor excelling in myth and George Lucasโ Star Wars, who originally said: Follow your bliss. Put simply, do what makes you happy and own it. Donโt worry about what everyone else thinks. There was a moment during studies when I decided that this is a rule worth to live by. I told myself: โIf this doesnโt make you happy, donโt do itโ. I always tried to follow this bliss. Choose your own happiness, be responsible for what you do, live your life for yourself.
Have a purpose in life. Always continue learning. You will not be able to find answers to everything, but try โ and make mistakes. Thatโs ok. Itโs ok to be vulnerable. Be aware that at any given time, everything can change. Donโt give up, keep trying. Some things simply take time. You need confidence to live according to your own rules. These rules should live up to societyโs expectations.
Life is hard, and it isnโt always fair, but itโs good. And donโt forget LBS โ be an active and participative alumnus. Register on GRADAWAY โ you will find a description under the title โDonโt be a strangerโ as to how to do that in your diploma. Being in touch with your alumni may be important for your personal careers. And our alumni are very important for us, for the improvement of our studies, our reputation, and for the sake of keeping in touch with the international world “outside.” Because thatโs where you are going to be โ most probably spread all over that world. And thatโs exactly how it is supposed to be. But your future is always built on your past โ and let us, LBS and its staff, its faculty, always be a part of your present.
We would love to know where live takes you to, which mountains you are going to climb and which successes you are going to have. GRADAWAY is our way to keep in touch with you, so please register and let us know! It will also support your networking from here โ an old saying goes โyou always meet twiceโ โฆ and you will see how helpful your connection to your former classmates and co- alumni may be for your future careers. The big advantage is: you donโt have to get to know your former class mates, the first step is already taken, you just need to keep in touch โฆ
As you leave this school โฆ this cityโฆ as you face new choices … new challengesโฆnew successes and setbacks you donโt need to remember my speech, but remember LBS and what you have learned here at LBS. I cannot wait to see what you choose to do next.
Prof. (FH) Mag. Julius Dem, MBA (Director of Studies IBA, Lauder Business School) โ Graduation Speech January 2016
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