Commencement Message: Be a Leader, But Be Guided by Community

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“The best years of being a Bearcat are not behind you. In fact, they start today.” – Justin Gibson, UC Alumni Association

A damp, chilly afternoon could not dampen the spirit on campus at the University of Cincinnati on Dec. 8, as President Nancy L. Zimpher led Commencement Exercises in Fifth Third Arena. President Zimpher said Commencement highlights the university’s 2007 achievements that included a $420 million contribution of design and engineering equipment to UC, the 175th anniversary celebration of the UC College of Law, and the soaring season for Bearcat Football.

“For this generation, gasoline has always been unleaded, Paul Newman was always a salad dressing, computers always fit in your backpack, and stores always had scanners at the checkout,” she said. But, she told the graduates that no matter what changes were ahead, they will always be a UC alumnus, joining 200,000 other living alumni around the world.

“You have accomplished something here at UC to benefit the rest of your life,” said H.C. Buck Niehoff, vice chair of the UC Board of Trustees. Reflecting on his own graduation from UC in 1972, he said “this day will always be one of the best memories for you and your family.”

In introducing the Commencement speaker, President Zimpher remarked on UC’s custom of featuring UC graduates as a living testament to the value of a UC degree. Jeffrey P. Williams, trustee and chairman of the University of Cincinnati Foundation, earned a bachelor of architecture from UC in 1975 and graduated with distinction with his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1979.

Williams recalled growing up in the era of the early Baby Boomers as the post World War II nation prospered under a strong economy, growing jobs and incomes as well as better educational opportunities and better health care. He recalled a time when every parent knew every child in the neighborhood, and spoke of the value of that sense of community then and in the depression era, when families would turn to one another for compassion.

Williams encouraged the graduates to expand beyond the community of their own homes and to reach out to a broader community. “Get to know your neighbors and the challenges they are facing in their own homes. Help them out, whenever you can.

"Get seriously involved in your broader community. Begin by listening to the conversation in your local town, your church or your school.

“Be a leader, but let your common sense be guided by a collective interest,” Williams said.

Martina Jones, Senior Class Vice President, told the graduates, “Celebrate, but do not become complacent, because the world needs you. You do have the power to make a difference. You can change the world. You don’t have to be an activist, but please be active. Be involved. The difference you make may surprise even you.”

Speaking on behalf of the UC Alumni Association, recent UC graduate Justin Gibson told the graduates, “No matter what your individual recollections are, you all have one thing in common. Your days at UC have shaped you forever. They significantly altered the course of your life, and for the better.”

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