MGMT 6225 Li-Wei Ho
Spring 2010 wx9473

Commencement Speech

Thank you dean and the distinguished alumnus, campus friends, honor guests, and the reason for our presence here today: to the new members of the class of 2020.

We all had our challenges through successes and failures in not only academics and important other areas as well, if not same time. To me, I admit I had a humble beginning regarding college life, I never had enough money, I felt, so I worked at relevant jobs pertaining to my majors that I am very grateful I didn’t waste my time. Another reason I look forward to go to college, was all those girls, then it becomes distraction quickly when everyone tries to better each other in classes and can’t wait to make the real bucks out there.

If life was that easy, but we all start with similar beginnings, it is to find personal goals and seriously to achieve them. Any better ideas using plans is best when success but if going to fail, learn from it, say if haven’t do it perfectly how to get over the fear and failure before moving on. I was self-righteous to get into engineering in college and in my first graduate study. It took me a long time to realize by memorizing and only doing the homework then proceeds to testing were not enough to get that technical position at a company that quickly gets outsourced. Many times, when I asked for advice, simply it seems I have to go through everything myself but I cried, this will take forever and I will fall behind. This is when I decide to also study business after finishing the engineering degrees. My inspiration is to be able to stand up in this ever-changing competitiveness of everything, “How in the hell did I know that-because I was nowhere, I was nowhere at all.” must be minimized as we advance into our career.
So, you see I had to make it happen. I had to believe in my passion. Know yourself and to your own self be true. If could happen that some day few years from now that you simply don't like engineering, marketing, managing, or accounting, etc. or the company you started with. You have little in common with the people you work with, and relative to your peers, you find your interest waning. This means to find another place where you’re comfortable with, and also network wisely and spend time with it to reach your potential and raise the limits. So, that's the way it finally turned out for me. Now, right after graduation today, sincerely ignore the people who don't believe in you and find your allies and smart people to surround and think and try harder to make better self. I envy your youngness. If I had to go back, and do everything over, I'd do it. With everything that's been wrong with my life; with everything that's been good; with all the mistakes and problems.
Look at all the business leaders, engineers/architects, etc, I didn't have a chance to say what I said to you-that the future belongs to us, if we work with it. Continue not to attempt to be an existing model and see yourself more able to do even superior this is what the last decades has been and will be in this upcoming decade. Cannot be confined in see around the world, being able to go beyond is what I've said to you. At that point you have to muster whatever self-confidence you have, and every bit of your courage, and make the decision to do something else with your life. It is always better sooner than later, to make that call.

Good Luck and Congratulations.

Li-Wei Ho