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Graduation
My graduation from BYU was fantastic. I really enjoyed myself.
Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve
Commencement was last Thursday, April 27, 2006. It was held in the Marriott Center, which was full all the way to the top row seats. President Samuelson, Merrill J. Bateman, Robert D. Hales, and Richard G. Scott were all in attendance.
The theme of commencement was most definitely centered on the BYU motto, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve.” It was great to feel like my 4 years at BYU had actually prepared me to do that. I learned a lot and met some really neat people that I am still in touch with, and these skills and contacts are great tools for serving people—both for compensation and out of the goodness of one’s heart.
My favorite part of commencement was that my parents were able to come and my sisters offered to babysit, which meant my wife and I had great company and were able to pay attention. After the ceremony was over, we went out to dinner at Ottavio’s on Center St. in Provo. We also went looking for a graduation present, a tent that Lindsay and I can use for camping.
Enter to Be Served, Go Forth to Earn
Convocation was the next day, and of all the schools at BYU, the business school gets made fun of with this quote the most. After our ceremonies, though, I must say that the graduating students of the Marriott School have their heads screwed on right.
Our dean, Ned Hill, had the students who fit various criteria stand so that we could see who matched those criteria. Something like 90% of Marriott School students have served missions and speak a second language. Nearly 3/4 are married.
The student speaker was a convert from Austria. He impressed me as a prayerful, and very grateful, man. His talk was more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ than it was about BYU or education. The whole ceremony was about service and gratitude. I would challenge anyone who truly believes that business students at BYU enter to be served and go forth solely to earn to go and meet a representative sample of them. You will be amazed.
Kevin Rollins from Dell also spoke. His talk was about the “magic formula to success.” He concluded that there is no single magic formula that will work for everyone, but that following the Lord’s will for each of us is the “magic” formula that will guide each of us on a unique and successful path.
The Rest of My Life
The prospect of life without school is both exciting and sobering to me. It’s nice to be free of homework and classrooms and grades, but it is sad to leave such a great environment of learning and friendship and to go separate ways with many friends and acquaintances. It is also exciting and sobering to think of “real” life and all the projects and work and opportunities ahead of me.
Luckily, many of the good habits that I learned in school are just as applicable, and maybe even more important, now that I’m done with school. Constant reading and study make great sense. Networking will help you to enjoy life and to know the right people. Finding time for the three F’s, family, friends, and fun, is also very important. Balance is always difficult and vital.
Now that I’m done with my undergraduate degree, I have a chance to focus on some of the other elements that are important to building a great future. I’m going to be spending a lot of time catching up on a few things that have been neglected a little during school. I’m also putting together a list of goals that I want to pursue. Is an MBA or some other graduate school in the plan? I don’t know. Is alll sorts of entrepreneurial activity part of my dreams? Definitely. I’ll keep posting as things move forward.
on September 13th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
I can relate very well to the comments you made about life after graduation. As I prepare for graduation in December from the Marriott School, I am very nervous yet anxious about what my future holds. My whole life has been very preparatory focused, so know I find myself prepared and looking for a new focus.
What have you learned about finding a job? Any advice you can give me would be appreciated.
on September 14th, 2006 at 10:13 am
Thanks for your comments, Cody.
As for finding a job, here’s something that I’ve learned after actually getting one and then helping with hiring at Sebo Marketing: Once you’ve done your preparation (getting a degree and relevant experience, etc.), a huge part of getting hired has to do with “fit.”
“Fit” is a somewhat vague idea that is hard to define. I liken it to clothes shopping - you go to the right store (look for jobs at companies that you are interested in) and you try on the clothes. They are all high-quality and well-made, but sometimes you put one on and it just “feels right.”
Companies are doing the same thing with you. To get hired, you need to fit right with the organization - you need to fit in with their culture, their scheduling/manpower needs, and their skillset requirements.
This means that, before you apply or interview with a company, you need to do a little homework. Try to find out what the culture is like at the company and make sure you could fit in. Try to determine what the real need is at the organization, and then prepare to show how you fill that need. Be as flexible as possible about location, scheduling, and even pay.
Most companies these days get plenty of qualified applicants, so it’s those that fit best that get hired.
on August 3rd, 2007 at 8:43 am
With all the good posts and comments, I want to tell you all about two good graduation websites and places I found for graduation invitations announcements cards,
http://www.cardsshoppe.com/productlist.asp?catid=10
http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/
I ordered from both these sites for two of my kids graduations and was very pleased with the unique and exclusive cards at very good prices. The thing I really liked was their same day shipping. I always recommend these two sites to all my family and friends.
Sarah Porter