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14 CONVOCATION
driving force of his entire life. We are honored to call him among our alumni and it
was a tremendous privilege for Cal Poly Pomona to nominate him for the honorary
doctorate he received from the California State University this past year.
Graduation is a special moment in your life. It is a turning point. As president at Cal
Poly Pomona, I have the opportunity to speak the graduating class each year. What I
share with them are five insights that I’ve gained over four decades as an educator.
I’d like to share them with you today:

Ÿ The first is to “hold high expectations” for yourself. Set the bar high and exercise
the discipline needed to achieve success. Through your studies at Ganpat
University, you’ve already shown you’re capable of great things. Now try and do
even better.

Ÿ The second is “take action.” Don’t let a fear of failure inhibit you. Move in the
direction of your expectations, and you will succeed. There will always be
obstacles. I find it best to always treat challenges as opportunities to improve.

Ÿ The third is “be persistent.” Know that every failure holds a lesson as well as the
seeds of success. As the famed Albert Einstein once said, “Failure is success in
progress.” Of course, this is much easier said than done, but never let failure
dictate your future.

Ÿ The fourth is “maintain options.” Look for opportunities to grow and adapt to
changes throughout your lifetime. There is always more to learn, indeed no

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