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Hello,BlueDevils!It’sgreattobeback.It’sanhonortostandbeforeyou—bothasyourcommencementspeakerandafellowDukegraduate.IearnedmydegreefromtheFuquaSchoolin1988.Inpreparingforthisspeech,Ireachedouttooneofmyfavoriteprofessorsfrombackthen.BobReinheimertaughtagreatcourseinManagementCommunications,whichincludedsharpeningyourpublicspeakingskills.Wehadn’tspokenfordecades,soIwasthrilledwhenhetoldme:herememberedaparticularlygiftedpublicspeakerwhotookhisclassinthe1980s…Withabrightmindandacharmingpersonality!Hesaidheknew—waybackthen—thispersonwasdestinedforgreatness.Youcanimaginehowthismademefeel.ProfessorReinheimerhadaneyefortalent.And,ifIdosayso,Ithinkhisinstinctswereright…MelindaGateshasreallymadehermarkontheworld.I’mgratefultoBob,DeanBoulding,andallofmyDukeprofessors.Theirteachingshavestayedwithmethroughoutmycareer.IwanttothankPresidentPrice,theDukeFaculty,andmyfellowmembersoftheBoardofTrusteesforthehonorofspeakingwithyoutoday.I’dalsoliketorecognizethisyear’shonorarydegreerecipients.Andmostofall,congratulationstotheclassof2018!Nograduategetstothismomentalone.Iwanttoacknowledgeyourparents,grandparentsandfriendsherecheeringyouon,justastheyhaveeverystepoftheway.Let’sgivethemourthanks.Todayespecially,Iremembermymother,whowatchedmegraduatefromDuke.Iwouldn’thavebeentherethatday—ormadeitheretoday—withouthersupport.Let’sgiveourspecialthankstoallthemothersheretoday,onMother’sDay.Ihavewonderfulmemorieshere.Studying—andnotstudying—withpeopleIstillcountasfriendstothisday.CheeringatCameronforeveryvictory.CheeringevenlouderwhenthatvictoryisoverCarolina.Lookbackoveryourshoulderfondlyandsaygoodbyetoactoneofyourlife.Andthenquicklylookforward.Acttwobeginstoday.It’syourturntoreachoutandtakethebaton.Youentertheworldatatimeofgreatchallenge.Ourcountryisdeeplydivided—andtoomanyAmericansrefusetohearanyopinionthatdiffersfromtheirown.Ourplanetiswarmingwithdevastatingconsequences—andtherearesomewhodenyit’sevenhappening.Ourschoolsandcommunitiessufferfromdeepinequality—wefailtoguaranteeeverystudenttherighttoagoodeducation.Andyetwearenotpowerlessinthefaceoftheseproblems.Youarenotpowerlesstofixthem.Nogenerationhaseverheldmorepowerthanyours.Andnogenerationhasbeenabletomakechangehappenfasterthanyourscan.Thepaceatwhichprogressispossiblehasaccelerateddramatically.Aidedbytechnology,everyindividualhasthetools,potential,andreachtobuildabetterworld.Thatmakesthisthebesttimeinhistorytobealive.Whateveryouchoosetodowithyourlife.Whereveryourpassiontakesyou.Iurgeyoutotakethepoweryouhavebeengivenanduseitforgood.Aspiretoleavethisworldbetterthanyoufoundit.Ididn’talwaysseelifeasclearlyasIdonow.ButI’velearnedthegreatestchallengeoflifeisknowingwhentobreakwithconventionalwisdom.Don’tjustaccepttheworldyouinherittoday.Don’tjustacceptthestatusquo.Nobigchallengehaseverbeensolved,andnolastingimprovementhaseverbeenachieved,unlesspeopledaretotrysomethingdifferent.Daretothinkdifferent.Iwasluckytolearnfromsomeonewhobelievedthisdeeply.Someonewhoknewthatchangingtheworldstartswith“followingavision,notapath.”Hewasmyfriendandmentor,SteveJobs.Steve’svisionwasthatgreatideascomefromarestlessrefusaltoacceptthingsastheyare.AndthoseprinciplesstillguideusatAppletoday.Werejectthenotionthatglobalwarmingisinevitable.That’swhywerunAppleon100%renewableenergy.Werejecttheexcusethatgettingthemostoutoftechnologymeanstradingawayyourrighttoprivacy.Sowechooseadifferentpath:Collectingaslittleofyourdataaspossible.Beingthoughtfulandrespectfulwhenit’sinourcare.Becauseweknowitbelongstoyou.Ineveryway,ateveryturn,thequestionweaskourselvesisnot‘whatcanwedo’but‘whatshouldwedo’.BecauseStevetaughtusthat’showchangehappens.AndfromhimIlearnedtoneverbecontentwiththingsastheyare.Ibelievethismindsetcomesnaturallytoyoungpeople…andyoushouldneverletgoofthatrestlessness.Sotoday’sceremonyisn’tjustaboutpresentingyouwithadegree,it’saboutpresentingyouwithaquestion.Howwillyouchallengethestatusquo?Howwillyoupushtheworldforward?Fiftyyearsagotoday—May13th,1968—RobertKennedywascampaigninginNebraska,andspoketoagroupofstudentswhowerewrestlingwiththatsamequestion.Thoseweretroubledtimes,too.TheU.S.wasatwarinVietnam.TherewasviolentunrestinAmerica’scities.AndthecountrywasstillreelingfromtheassassinationofDr.MartinLutherKingamonthearlier.Kennedygavethestudentsacalltoaction.Whenyoulookacrossthiscountry,andwhenyouseepeoples’livesheldbackbydiscriminationandpoverty…whenyouseeinjusticeandinequality.Hesaid,youshouldbethelastpeopletoacceptthingsastheyare.LetKennedy’swordsechoheretoday.“Youshouldbethelastpeopletoaccept[it].”Whateverpathyou’vechosen…Beitmedicine,business,engineering,thehumanities—whateverdrivesyourpassion.Bethelasttoacceptthenotionthattheworldyouinheritcannotbeimproved.Bethelasttoaccepttheexcusethatsays,“that’sjusthowthingsaredonehere.”Dukegraduates,youshouldbethelastpeopletoacceptit.Andyoushouldbethefirsttochangeit.Theworld-classeducationyou’vereceived—thatyou’veworkedsohardfor—givesyouopportunitiesthatfewpeoplehave.Youareuniquelyqualified,andthereforeuniquelyresponsible,tobuildabetterwayforward.Thatwon’tbeeasy.Itwillrequiregreat