Regional President Speech

,. 1 Stonehill Commencement May 21, 1995 I want to thank Father McPhaidin and Stonehill College for this honor which I deeply appreciate. As graduates of Stonehill College, each of you embark on careers equipped with knowledge and skills to be successful in today's competitive world. Whether liberal arts, business administration, or science, your years at Stonehill will bear immeasurable rewards for you in the years ahead. But that is not enough. Our country, and the world, are facing challenges that can only be met if individuals like you in this graduating class step out of the narrow confines of private lives and careers, and reach out to those for whom life's burdens have been heavy, to those who have been unable to emerge from the shadows of poverty, ignorance, and intolerance. 2 The values upon which your fine college has been built give each of you a special qualification to stem the tide of hateful extremism that has splashed across the nation's televisions and headlines this Spring. Saint Augustine wrote that "Anger is the weed; hate is the tree." I fear that the roots of hate have been allowed to run too deep in this nation for too long. It is your opportunity, as students of the Holy Cross Fathers, to bring tolerance and understanding to places where fear and ignorance have kept people from fulfilling their potential in life. It is an exciting time in human history. As we move into a new century, wide vistas are opening through the wonders of technology. New ways of communicating, managing, entertaining, and even thinking are unfolding faster than we can comprehend. Your generation will redefine many of the concepts that were considered axiomatic by those who came before you. Success will be measured in different ways, and your rewards may take different forms. But the fundamentals necessary for a bright future will endure. The willingness to confront injustice, the courage to correct wrongs, and 3 the wisdom to maintain a breadth of perspective -- those are the essential elements for future success both collectively and as individuals. As you leave Stonehill, I urge you to build into your daily or weekly routines, some activity which will keep alive the consciousness that I know so many of you have demonstrated in your college years. Keep alive the spirit of giving something back, of sharing your blessings - the very essence of your alma mater. It is a great honor to share this memorable day with you, and I thank you for the opportunity.

Cathy E. Minehan (1995, May 20). Regional President Speech. Speeches, Federal Reserve. https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/regional_speeche_19950521_cathy_e_minehan

@misc{wtfs_regional_speeche_19950521_cathy_e_minehan,
  author = {Cathy E. Minehan},
  title = {Regional President Speech},
  year = {1995},
  month = {May},
  howpublished = {Speeches, Federal Reserve},
  url = {https://whenthefedspeaks.com/doc/regional_speeche_19950521_cathy_e_minehan},
  note = {Retrieved via When the Fed Speaks corpus}
}