Global Citizens

Seizing a Future Day

Quite frankly, I’m not that worried about what you are going to do immediately after graduation.  You’ve been well prepared to be successful in the immediate future.  Many of you already have your next steps carefully planned, and I have no doubt you will successfully begin or resume your career adventures.  

But I am more concerned — and so should you be — about what you do 10 years from now.  Because that’s the true test of an education and that’s the true test for your career growth and development.  You see, in approximately 10 years, you will be rising to the peak of your professional careers and earning your distinctive reputation.  And then, many of you likely will be at the point where you will be reconsidering the overall purpose of your life in the years to come — evaluating all the new developments that will have taken place in your lives and in society — and pausing to make decisions that will to a large extent determine your long-term happiness and success.  

At FDU, we take great pride in preparing you for immediate success, but we take even greater pride in preparing you for lifelong success and happiness; in preparing you for that moment 10 years from now when you may need to adapt to vastly different circumstances.  At that point, and throughout your future, you must be agile enough to respond to these new realities and skillful enough to execute in the midst of profound changes.  

You can be sure you will see mind-boggling changes.  Changes in your careers, changes in your relationships, changes in society and changes in the world around us.  Indeed, as Heraclitus wrote nearly 2,500 years ago, “There is nothing permanent except change.”

But there is something unique about this era; something different from any other in the history of humanity — the rate of change.  The rate of change today is more rapid than in any previous generation.  Population growth, urbanization, rapid communication, new technology and technological tools, accelerated transportation systems and digital media all contribute to an awesome era of rapidly spreading new ideas and applications, and the need for agile adaptation.

While we cannot foresee all the changes that loom ahead, I would like to discuss two inescapable subjects that will dominate the future: the first is technology, and the second is the developing global village.  

Graduates and friends, we are in the midst of a revolution — whether you call it digital, information or technological.  We know that because the media continually tells us so.  And we know that because of technological wonders that have become commonplace: heart transplants; digital mobile phones; the space shuttle and satellite data transmissions; e-mail, e-trading and e-commerce; and a long list of other technological miracles.  

The rate of technological change is overwhelming.  The half-life of knowledge is now 5.5 years.  That means that what you learn today could be useless before you even get to apply it. 

Friends, we cannot ignore or condemn these changes around us.  We must be agile, enthusiastic advocates for appropriate new developments.  I suggest we are in an era which calls for a new definition of the meaning of education.  For 2000 years, we relied on a pretty consistent model of education, one that is based on owning detailed information and knowledge.  But what do you do when you enter an era in which there is too much information to own? 

Elements of Education

Indeed, because of technology and communications, the global network is so linked that what happens at one point affects everything else.  Today, we reside in an increasingly smaller global village, interconnected by technology and human beings increasingly aware of our shared fate.

FDU anticipated this long before other universities.  We were among the first institutions to emphasize efforts to build global relationships.  With the establishment of Wroxton College in England, FDU became the first American university to purchase its own overseas campus.  With the launching of our Tel Aviv Campus in 1996, we once again were able to expand our educational offerings and develop meaningful and, I’m sure, long-lasting friendships. 

FDU is committed to producing global citizens.  By evidence of your successful completion of our program, you here today share in that commitment.  And you’ve no doubt come to understand that there’s a big difference between acting globally and acting internationally.  Acting internationally simply means that you’ve crossed borders and established a physical presence in another country.  Acting globally however, implies that you have become a citizen of the world, immersed in and familiar with other cultures and conscious of your responsibility to make the world a better place.  As FDU’s founder Peter Sammartino said, “We must be of and for the world.”  Similarly, you must be of and for the world.  

We live together on this sphere and we have to live peacefully.  We must and we will prepare people to survive in a diverse world.  We need to understand that different points of view are not wrong, just different.  The insight of diversity reveals that different words, different ideas and different methods are not wrong.  That insight is fundamental to an educated person.

Themes of Change

The second theme is the theme of gateways.  FDU is positioned physically and philosophically at the gateway to the world.  You have journeyed to the New York Metropolitan Area and seen the treasure of resources at your disposal.  When you entered FDU, you entered a gateway to a new world, both physically and intellectually.  Today, you exit the gateway to discover new worlds.

But you must remember that education is an ongoing and lifelong process.  From here, the degree of your triumphs will be determined by your willingness to embrace new challenges, adapt to changing times and seize promising opportunities.  And in the process, do not allow anybody to define you but you.  By staying true to yourself, by maintaining ideals that you value, you will find fulfillment, and perhaps even change the world.  

I challenge you to do exactly that: make the most of your future and change the world.  Change it for yourself and for those who will follow.  The world is a complex place with a multitude of conflicts, but never underestimate your capabilities to overcome divisions and achieve lasting solutions that bridge cultural, national, religious and ethnic divides.  We all are different but we all are in this together.  Stay true to yourself but also give freely of yourself to others.  As the great American writer Herman Melville once wrote, “We cannot live for ourselves alone.  Our lives are connected by a thousand invisible threads and along these sympathetic fibers, our actions run as causes and return to us as results.”

You know, I used to fall prey to what I’ve identified as the “Gandhi Complex.”  In other words, I used to think there are so few Gandhis, Churchills, Mandelas, Rabins, or whoever else is on your list of great people who have changed the world.  So the tendency is to ask, “Why try?”  But the reality is that if you can touch a life, you can change it.  And you have an obligation to extend your reach. 

Unlike today, the future will not be one big celebration.  Oh sure, I have no doubt that you will find success and happiness, and when you do find joy, please remember to revel in it and appreciate what you have accomplished and who you are.  Always take the time to celebrate the moment and celebrate yourself.  But there also will be trying times ahead and challenges that may seem overwhelming.  

With such uncertainty looming on the horizon, it would take a superhuman effort to face the future without any semblance of fear.  And, of course, in our modern age, we’re all supposed to pretend we’re confident and brave and invulnerable.  But I’ll let you in on a little secret: everyone feels scared at one time or another, and it’s okay to be scared.  It’s okay to cry, to feel apprehensive, vulnerable and frustrated.  Because only by recognizing our feelings can we deal with them in the rational manner needed to confront the challenges we will face.  And, while it’s okay to be scared, it’s also important to face our fears and continually reach for new heights, because the greatest mistake you can make is to be constantly afraid of making one.

At the End of the Day

At the end of the day, the question will be how did you characterize yourself. Did you reach for standards of excellence, or did you let others limit your aspirations?  Did you fall prey to others’ judgments or did you let your individuality rise to the surface and surpass common expectations?  Did you stay true to your heart?  Did you make it personal and make a difference?  Only you can measure your worth and determine the length of your reach.  By staying true to yourself, by staying true to your passions, you can change the world and, as Longfellow wrote, “leave footprints on the sands of time.” 
 

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