courtesy of WU Photo Services“From this day forward, you will have to rely not on grades or guidance from professors to tell you how you are doing and where you stand,” said Madeline Albright, the 64th U.S. secretary of state, to the graduating seniors at Commencement this morning.
“You will have to rely, instead, on an inner compass; and whether that compass is true will determine whether you become a drifter who is blown about by every breeze; or a doer, determined to chart your own course and unafraid, when necessary, to set sail against the strongest wind.”
Albright also offered words of wisdom obtained after her four years at Wellesley College.
“I also learned much about myself and got a first-class education, but I wanted to use the knowledge I had acquired for something more meaningful than table conversation,” she said. “I wanted to test – not simply accept – the limits and boundaries of the life I was preparing to lead.”
Albright, the first female secretary of state, also discussed issues that applied not only to graduating seniors, but to everyone in the audience.
“As we go through life, each of us must choose whether to live timidly and
complacently, or to act with boldness and faith,” said Albright.
Albright used this message to address the situation in Iraq.
“Our economy is the largest; our military the mightiest; our influence the
most pervasive not by a little, but by a lot,” she said. “What is in doubt is how we intend to use our power.”
Albright quoted Harry Truman and reminded the crowd of past conflicts. She emphasized the solutions brought about by this discord, namely the creation of institutions that promoted cooperation among nations, such as the U.N.
“Over the years, the combined strength of those organizations made the world
more prosperous, brought down the Berlin Wall, and helped make the democratic
tide a rising tide on every continent,” said Albright. “The extent of American power has created an opportunity for us to make our nation more secure within a world that is healthier, richer and more peaceful than it has ever been.”
Then, interrupted by numerous bouts of applause, Albright expressed her hopes for the future of this country.
“I hope the President will emphasize not only what our country is against in
the world, but also what America is for; taking a hard line against terror, but also outlining plans to strengthen democracy, forge peace in the Middle East, help people around the world to live better lives, and transform the plague of HIV/AIDS from a menace into a memory,” she said.
Albright tied this back to the graduating class by discussing the WU community as compared to America.
“America will stand taller and do better if we are part of a larger team,” she said. “We have learned over and over again through history that the ideals transmitted and cherished at WU and other great centers of liberal education are not self-perpetuating.”
Albright also offered a little comical relief.
“To the class of 2003, let me say that I do not intend this afternoon to put
the weight of the world upon your shoulders, for that is your parents’ job,” she said.
The speech ended on an inspirational note.
“Today, at this ceremony of celebration and anticipation, I urge us all to
embrace the faith that every dispute remedied by our patience; every prejudice rebutted by our courage; every danger surmounted by our vigilance; and every barrier to justice brought down by our determination will ennoble our own lives, inspire others, and explode outward the boundaries of what is achievable on this earth.”