Virtue of the education and inspiration i received at this place is today a member of president Barack Obamas cabinet , the head of a Government Agency of 240,000 people, and the guardian of this nations homeland security. [applause] today, you are hereby crowned a ce, anointedk prin with the title morehouse man, propelled by the pride of your family, entrusted with the legacy of the great morehouse men who precede you and saddled with a load of expectations. Being a morehouse man means more than acquiring a good job am a good manners, and a good suit. ,hile others fear the darkness you must light the candle. Wallow in bigotry, intolerance or homophobia, you must provide enlightenment. When others are content to deliver courage by proxy, you must step to the front of the line. A our society continues to need the power of your leadership and the power of your example. Eachthe last four years, time you sang dear old morehouse, you pledge dear life to this institution and its ideals and a
Leader of the revolutionary movement in zimbabwe. Me, the four years was transformational. I told you my freshman year gpa was 1. 8. By sophomore year, something had awakened within me. I found who i was here. I became comfortable in my own skin and proud of my own skin color. In the fall some master of my sophomore year, sitting in room 217 of what was then thurman hall, now llc, and realizing there was nothing left for me to do but study. I wanted to go to law school and be prepared to answer a call to service. My gpa went from 1. 8 23 point zero. Spring semester sophomore year, 3. 5. Year fourter, junior point zero. Spring semester junior year, 4. 0. Year, fourer senior point zero. Spring semester senior year, 4. 0. I left morehouse on fire and went to Columbia Law School and received a job offer from almost every wall street firm i interviewed with. I am proud of my private sector achievements. I am proud to have been the first africanamerican partner one of the most profitable law
Guessed, for deciphering the chemistry of memory in humans, as revealed by his research on sea slugs. Kandels life, i believe, demonstrates how a persistent curiosity can help us reach ambitious goals, even with great roadblocks in the way. A second tool for lifelong intellectual growth is a willingness to listen carefully to others. These days, Technology Allows us access to a great breadth of perspectives, but it also allows us to limit what voices we hear to the narrow range we find most agreeable. Listening to others, especially those with whom we disagree, tests our own ideas and beliefs. It forces us to recognize, with humility, that we dont have a monopoly on the truth. Yankee stadium is a natural venue for another lesson you wont succeed all the time. Even ruth, gehrig and dimaggio failed most of time when they stepped to the plate. Finding the right path in life, more often than not, involves some missteps. My Federal Reserve colleagues and i experienced this as we struggled t
My predecessor at the fed, chairman ben bernanke, demonstrated such courage, especially in his response to the threat of the financial crisis. To stabilize the Financial System and restore economic growth, he took courageous actions that were unprecedented in ambition and scope. He faced relentless criticism, personal threats, and the certainty that history would judge him harshly if he was wrong. But he stood up for what he believed was right and necessary. Ben bernankes intelligence and knowledge served him well as chairman. But his grit and willingness to take a stand were just as important. I hope you never are confronted by challenges this great, but you too will face moments in life when standing up for what you believe can make all the difference. Having dwelt for a moment on failure and grit, let me turn to the deeper meaning that underpins grit and can carry us beyond failure. The hard work of building a life that makes a difference is much easier to sustain when you are passi