About 480 graduate students celebrated the completion of their master’s and doctoral programs in the University of Lynchburg’s Graduate Commencement on Friday, May 17.
It was the University’s first separate Commencement ceremony for graduate programs. Graduates and their friends and family members filled Turner Gymnasium.
Bob Lemon ’98 MBA, the Commencement speaker, encouraged the graduating students to “be special and serve with a sense of gratitude.”
The ability to fulfill that charge begins with the education the graduates pursued. “The degree you receive tonight gives you the power to be special,” Lemon said, adding that the graduates’ personal choices would determine how they set themselves apart and how they can use their education to impact others.
He emphasized that life and education are about more than careers and credentials. “Don’t be defined by your position,” he said. “That includes your title and the rest of the names and initials on your business card.”
For example, Lemon said, the letters “CFO” have followed his name for nearly 20 years as he has served as chief financial officer for two Lynchburg-based companies. But his job title is secondary to personal relationships with his family, coworkers, and friends.
“Find someone you trust and allow yourself to trust them,” he said. “Keep them close. Cherish them.”
