Graduation is an important and unforgettable event in your
lives. It honors a significant accomplishment: the successful
fulfillment of the requirements for your degree. It signals the end
of a very special and formative period in your life. And it marks
the beginning of the great future you have been
“constructing” while at UCLA.
UCLA’s foremost role is preparing leaders who will guide
our communities, our state, our nation ““ and indeed, the
world ““ into the future. Here is how we accomplish this
crucial mission: We begin with leaders, by admitting only the most
capable and promising students. While you’re at UCLA, we
offer you extensive opportunities for intellectual and personal
growth and discovery. We prepare you to excel in your chosen
professions. And then we take credit for all of the wonderful
things you do as UCLA alumni, for the rest of your lives!
It’s been said that Commencement is the intermission
between “Act One: Your Education,” and “Act Two:
The Real World.” But in this era of sweeping technological
and societal change, we can no longer afford to make that
distinction. To prepare you for the unprecedented challenges that
lie ahead, we’ve tried to make the real world a part of your
education. You have had access to the vast extended classroom of
the Los Angeles region. You have been encouraged to be an
innovator, a problem-solver, an explorer and a leader ““ in
the classroom and the laboratory ““ and to engage in
extracurricular activities and service to the campus and the
broader community.
And you have acquired both depth and breadth of knowledge. By
balancing depth and breadth, and introducing you to
interdisciplinary concepts, your UCLA experience has, I hope,
taught you the most valuable thing of all: how to learn. I
encourage you to make lifelong learning a priority as you continue
to discover, to learn, and to grow both professionally and
personally.
Whatever you do next ““ whether it’s graduate or
professional training, entering the workforce, or taking some time
to explore your options ““ you can proceed with confidence.
Because, as UCLA students, you’ve already proven that there
are no limits to what you can imagine, or to what you can achieve.
A UCLA education provides a strong foundation for whatever you
choose to do next. People will expect big things of you and will
look to you for leadership, starting now.
As for your next steps, I’ll share with you my own theory
of career planning. I call it “the tingle theory.”
It’s quite simple: When faced with a choice among alternative
career paths, choose the path that makes you tingle. If something
excites you, that may be the best reason in the world for doing it.
Don’t be overly strategic about planning your future. Do what
turns you on. I guarantee you’ll do it well, and that will
lead to success and to personal fulfillment.
We are immensely proud of all that you’ve accomplished at
UCLA. Your future achievements will also give us cause for pride. I
urge you to embrace the spirit of service that is a hallmark of
this university, and to help ensure that the many benefits you
enjoyed as a student will be available to those who follow you.
I encourage you also to continue to nurture your friendships and
the many connections that you have made during your time at UCLA.
Your extended UCLA family will prove to be one of the most valuable
resources you can draw upon in the future, and it will continue to
be a source of support for you, both personally and
professionally.
It seems fitting that the theme of this issue is
“Constructing your future.” As you have learned at
UCLA, construction is truly a lifelong affair! I appreciate your
patience, and I hope that you will stay engaged with our campus, so
that we can show each other how our various “construction
projects” are proceeding.
Congratulations, Class of 2003!
Carnesale is the chancellor of UCLA.