Good evening. My congratulations to all of today's graduates. Your commitment, dedication and scholarship are publicly recognized today. This is a landmark moment for you ... a long walk from the first days at the Mitchell Memorial Library or finding your first room in the dorms.

For some of you that first day was the beginning of 2,500 campus meals. And the initial day of enduring friendships and shared experiences with other Bulldogs. That first day you joined a community of scholars, dedicated to the preservation and transmission of civilization's greatest heritage, our collective knowledge. You encountered brilliant professors, who are stewards of knowledge in engineering, agricultural or life sciences, human sciences, forestry, education or veterinary sciences. You discovered talented colleagues, fellow students who had much to teach and tell.

At Mississippi State you were welcomed because you mattered, each and every one of you. The inclusivity of this university was purchased through struggle and persistence. Many of us remember the price paid. Today, I remember the sacrifices. Your enriching, multicultural atmosphere did not exist when segregation closed the university campus to millions of people like me. But institutions, like people, learn and grow. You found an open, respectful institution well-prepared to provide information, skills and opportunities. It extended your intellectual horizons. It fostered new talents, new interests and new passions. Above all else, this community of scholars cultivated your humanity.

I realize that you made a bold decision to attend college ... there were risks, sacrifices, long days and longer nights, struggle, doubt, even pain. Scholarship has its demands. You explored the depths of knowledge. Some books became permanent fixtures. Time management became an art form. Sleep was a precious commodity. The undergraduates sat through over 4,000 hours of lectures and worked thousand of hours in the lab. There were also internships, jobs, study abroad, social events, and public service. On top of all that, many of you did a senior thesis, which one student told me was "like writing an encyclopedia while undergoing medieval torture."

And there were the moments of delicious triumph, personal victory and profound satisfaction on a test or a paper. These were the times you realized unimaginable accomplishment and rapid growth. And you did grow and mature, day-by-day, week-by-week, year after year. You entered the university as a person of talent and optimism. You leave with all that and so much more, tempered by your preparation, experience, maturity and purpose.

Today we recognize the completion of that intellectual odyssey. You made it ... you did it. This is the day you join the community of scholars who proudly are alumni of Mississippi State University. That means a lot. As a land-grant institution, Mississippi State University has a unique mission—teaching, research and service. You now join other alumni in extending the influence and teaching of Mississippi State University throughout the world.

As I stand witness to this moment, I also congratulate President Lee, the trustees, administration, faculty and staff of Mississippi State University. Another generation of graduates leaves to embark on a life's journey of learning, leadership and humanity. You have well-prepared these graduates for the journey ahead. This graduation marks yet another vast contribution to our nation and the world by this outstanding university.

I also want to congratulate the family and friends of each graduate. I know you made sacrifices, too. OK ... many sacrifices. Remember when you were just parents and not part of a financial aid package? Some parents have told me that their financial aid counselors are now adopted members of the family.

I know we can never thank parents enough. If graduates are looking for a full-time job, with endless challenges and long hours, become a parent. It's hard work—just ask your own parents. They're tired too.

So I congratulate the parents. Each graduate is the product of your love, your dreams and your diligence. I know you are proud ... passionately proud. This is also your day, your moment, too.

We celebrate great achievements today. But tradition demands that I say a few words about the future to our graduates. You must use your learning, leadership and humanity to foster peace, justice and prosperity throughout the world.

Knowledge must lead to action. One person can change the world. It happens every day. In the Reflector and in other newspapers, you read about remarkable people who answer destiny's challenge. This year, we remember Oliver Brown, who initiated a struggle that ended segregation 50 years ago in Brown v. Board of Education. I also think of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who came to Montgomery and Birmingham to extend America's promise to every citizen. There are examples like Mother Theresa, who gave solace to the destitute of Calcutta. In Harlem, Mother Hale welcomed unwanted babies with HIV infection. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela took the reins of power and peacefully united his country. Right now, in the Sudan, people are working tirelessly to bring relief and save lives, because we must address hunger, homelessness and suffering, whatever the danger. And at this moment in history, entire nations confront their future—Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Ivory Coast and elsewhere.

I have spoken of those well-known, the famous, and those remembered by history. But each day there are countless people who quietly step forward: teachers, nurses, doctors, clergy, law enforcement officials, firefighters and social workers. These people are in Jackson, Monticello or right here in Starkville. Each person confronts a world of endless demands, infinite challenges and constant struggle. Yet, with each decision, each act of service, each moment of compassion or kindness, you and I can change the world for the better. We can fight for what is right, good and just. Every day, with little fanfare or applause, millions of Americans help others without hesitation, leading by example.

Today, I ask you to make the most of each moment, each hour of every day. When destiny presents an opportunity for positive change, you must seize that moment. Each of you today has been prepared for a purpose. The sum total of your preparation is needed now. Your years at this wonderful center of learning are but a prelude. Lifelong learning must follow. Never, ever, stop the learning process. You will never know enough or be wise enough. Your scholarship must lead to more learning, to sincere humility and to profound introspection. And learning must stimulate action. Your training must be used for a vision of hope. Your leadership can make our world more safe and secure. Your service to others can heal bodies and souls. Your example can be an inspiration to others, igniting a chain of events that make our country nobler, better and wiser.

Each of us must be willing to step forward when needed, to answer the call. We must fight for the oppressed, the poor, the sick, the aged and those without a voice, whether in this country or abroad. We must recognize that our personal and national leadership can create a world of care, consideration, respect and security. Our work will ripple out to touch millions of people over decades of time. Your work—our work—begins now, today, this moment. And it must be guided by our humanity, our love and our compassion.

This is a world in desperate need of tenderness, understanding and empathy. We have a duty to each other. We must become brothers and sisters of all mankind. Let us use this day, this moment of accomplishment, to stop and survey the horizon. Then, after our celebration, let us walk from this stage, determined to live a life of service and responsibility. Dedicated to this mission, let us walk into the future together.

Congratulations to all of the graduates, and to your families.

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