“I wonder how many people remember what was said in their high school or college commencement address,” I said to my wife after reading quotes pulled from recent speeches at well-known colleges. Though not incredibly long ago, I recall very little from my college graduation and even less from when I crossed the stage to accept my high school diploma. At some point as I graduated college, I recall, perhaps incorrectly, the speaker sharing how we’re all bricks in a wall, and together we can make something great. While enjoying the concept of unity and people working together to accomplish something, a brick wall wasn’t what I hoped to take away from four years of higher education. When I asked Sera what she remembered, it was even less than my recollection.

Being a member of the college choir, I attended several commencement ceremonies over my college years. I don’t remember anything from those ceremonies either. Well, I recall one speaker repeating, “If you remember one thing about this speech, remember this:” but I have no clue what followed his request. Unfortunately, I think most of us are in the same boat of not remembering much from those speeches of importance in our life. Similar to your wedding day, it goes past in an exciting blur that you recall later while looking up photos on Facebook.

In an effort to share wisdom with the class of 2015, I had the brilliant idea to share quotes from famous commencement speeches that have already occurred this year. Apparently CNN’s Sarah Yang also thought this was a good idea, as she had literally published a list the day before I wrote this column. Yang highlighted First Lady Michelle Obama’s encouragement to trust yourself, Apple CEO Tim Cook’s call to trust yourself and scientist Bill Nye’s suggestion that a diploma doesn’t mean we should stop learning. I recommend you google Yang’s story, “The collective wisdom of the 2015 graduation speeches,” to find even more pieces of wisdom pulled from various celebrities sharing graduation advice. There are some good nuggets of wisdom to take with you as you close one chapter and begin another in your life.

As four years have passed since I graduated from college, I thought recent graduates might enjoy some advice on what these first few years are like and how to navigate this fascinating time.

1. In a lot of ways, graduating high school or college feels like you’re finally entering the real world and experiencing independence for the first time. Independence requires responsibility, and you likely aren’t smart enough yet to actually do it all on your own successfully. Stay connected to your safety net or support system because you will need them at some point. Independence doesn’t mean doing it all on your own, but rather, having the knowledge to know you can’t succeed in isolation.

2. It’s OK to take a job that isn’t your dream job, but make sure it is pointing you toward that path. It’s easy to settle for what comes your way when a job market is difficult, but it’s incredibly hard to unsettle yourself once you’ve become comfortable. Last week I mentioned climbing Mount Everest in my column, and that applies here too. Your professional ladder is likely something you haven’t climbed before. It takes work and training to make it to each rung.

3. Know your comfort zone and work your way out of it. This is terrifying, but it’s usually the terrifying things in life that bring you the most rewards. As a communications professional, I worked hard in my studies to ensure I was behind the camera; behind the story. If someone pulled out a video camera in class, I strategically placed myself out of frame. Since I’ve started working at United Way, I’ve found myself doing multiple live television interviews to share the good work our community is doing to improve lives. Sometimes you have to work your way out of your comfort zone to make an impact and grow.

Congratulations to the class of 2015. You’ve made it this far, and you’re only beginning your success. You determine where your success ends.

 

Rochester resident Matt Knutson is the communications and events director for United Way of Olmsted County.