Graduation advice from Condoleezza Rice

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Graduation advice from Condoleezza Rice

By Glenn Burkins – May 3, 2010

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Sunday was graduation day at Johnson C. Smith University, which awarded degrees to 221 students as the school wrapped up its 143th academic year.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was the day’s commencement speaker.

Rice, now a political science professor at Stanford University, recalled romping around the JCSU campus as a young girl while her father, the late Rev. John Wesley Rice, attended a ministers conference. Rice’s father is a 1946 graduate of JCSU.

"Johnson C. Smith University has made a lot of progress,” she told her audience, “but I think it's kept the same heart and soul."

Rice spoke of the progress the United States has made in fulfilling its promise of democracy for all. Neither of the last four secretaries of state, she said, has been a white male. She also noted the history-making election of President Barack Obama.

In her message to the class of 2010, Rice talked about the privilege of education. She also listed "five responsibilities of educated citizens."

1. Find and fulfill your passion
"I don't mean any old thing that interests you, or something you could or might do," she said. "But that one unique calling that you can't do without."

Rice spoke of her own early aspirations to become a concert pianist. But after realizing that her talents were limited, she said, she discovered Russian studies, which eventually led her to the highest levels of government.

She compared her passion for Russian studies to finding love: “I couldn’t explain it, but it felt right.”

"Your passion may be hard to spot," she told the graduates. "But keep an open mind and keep searching."

2. Commit to reason
"No one should assume that a life of reason is easy," she said. "To the contrary, it takes a great deal of courage and honesty, for the only way you're going to grow intellectually is by examining your opinions."

Although strongly held beliefs are important, she warned against living in an “echo chamber.”

3. Reject false pride
Rice told the students to never assume that success is a result of personal merit. Many others are equally smart and deserving, she said, but "for whatever reason -- maybe a broken home, poverty or just bad luck,” they were unable to achieve the same goals.

“Your merit alone did not get you where you are,” she said.

4. Be optimistic
Believing in a brighter future is sometimes difficult, Rice said. But despite the challenges that remain, she said more people in the world today have hope than at any time in human history.

“There was a time when the goal of democracy in America seemed impossible," she said, reminding the audience of her rise from the once-segregated town of Birmingham to the corridors of international power.

5. Work to advance human progress
Rice said all people share the same basic aspirations – to be safe, freedom of worship, an opportunity to educate their children and to be ruled by consent.

She said individuals throughout history have used race and ethnic differences to divide people. She told the graduates that they have a duty to reject prejudice.

Before the graduation ceremony began, Rice, 55, met briefly with reporters and posed for pictures with class valedictorian Jason Stuckey and salutatorian Nikki Boston.

She said she enjoyed her eight years in Washington – first as national security adviser and later as secretary of state -- and she declined to critique the Obama administration.

Rice said she wishes Obama much success.

One of the good things about being out of Washington, she said, is that she can now read her morning newspaper without feeling that she has to solve all of the world’s problems.

“It’s a lot easier out here than it is in there,” she said.