Thirty-two students received degrees during the the Love School of Business MBA graduation ceremony Friday, May 20 in Whitley Auditorium. David Clark, Jr. delivered the student address, reflecting on the sweeping changes affecting the business world today, and reminding his classmates that true satisfaction comes from service to others.
“Always use your talents to help others,” Clark said. “There is no greater reward than helping someone to succeed.”
Allen Gant, Jr., president and CEO of Glen Raven, Inc., delivered the commencement address. He said he is sometimes overwhelmed at the speed of business today.
“Imagine, megatrends used to happen once every 50 years,” Gant said. “Now they happen once every 6 months. Today, business is transacted in nanoseconds. We do business with people today we have never known and will never meet.”
He told the graduating class that technological advances in communication have come with a cost.
“In a short period of time, the technology has changed, but it has stifled communication. The velocity of business has done all it can do to deaden communication,” Gant said, pointing to modern conveniences such as voicemail and e-mail as things that have reduced accountability and have made people less accessible.
In business, Gant said, people ultimately make the difference. “Our ability to think and reason allows us to innovate.” He advised students to use their skills and always keep in mind that someone else is looking for a way to gain an edge. “Someday, starting today, you will be judged by something other than your potential.”
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