Ryan Cameron Courson, Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School - 2010 Graduation Speech

Ryan Cameron Courson Valedictory Speech to the Business School class of 2010 Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis May 21, 2010

Good afternoon, faculty, audience members and my fellow graduating seniors. It might seem strange but in less than three hours we will emerge from this auditorium as a real people. For a large portion of today’s graduating class, today will be our last graduation. It is amazing to think that four years has come and gone. It seems like yesterday we were standing on different stages across the world. Is everyone able to remember back to that day? Can you recall your differences in perception, attitudes, behaviors, goals, dreams, and ambitions? Today are you one step closer to the person you wanted to become at that time, or is the person you wanted to be completely different? Three years ago, I stood on a stage similar to this one and gave a speech to my fellow graduating high school seniors. To them, I offered one piece of advice: be great. Now this might seem like a fairly daunting task as society has come to equate greatness with financial success and fame. As such, I would like to offer an explanation of how I came to this to message and why I desired to impart it. There were 90 of us, and we all came from a small farm town in Illinois. We had cornfields instead of high rises, and your social status was directly proportion to the size of the tires on your truck. Before arriving at Wash U, this microcosm is what I thought the world was like. To be honest, I had never even met someone of the Jewish religion or Asian race. Needless to say, I was naïve in the ways of the world. There were so many things I was unaware and unsure of. There was one thing always completely prevalent to me: the presence of amazing influences in my life. With the exception of one individual, these people will likely never be featured as Time’s person of the year, or reach Fortune’s rich list. However, they dedicated themselves to their cause, and as a result I owe them much. To me they define greatness, and taught me everything I know about it. The first was my mother. When I was twelve years old, my father became addicted to methamphetamines. As my father’s drug abuse worsened, so did his temper. His anger soon turned into rage, which escalated into violence. Throughout this period, my mother was our family’s rock. Thanks to her courage I was able to mature as a person, understand the facets of

relationships, and discover the true meaning of overcoming adversity. She devoted herself to taking care of our family, providing not only the essentials, but also an unconditional love, which I will forever be grateful for. I wish I could say her love garnered her fame and notoriety, but this is not the case as she still lives a modest life as a schoolteacher in Illinois. As I aged my list expanded: •

A football coach, Aaron Kunz, taught me the meaning of ethics, relentless hard work, and how leadership can transform an organization. Beyond that he dedicated weekends, middle of the night phone calls from China, and an occasional breakfast, anything necessary to see me succeed. Unfortunately, his dedication to his job did not earn him a lofty options contract.

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A St. Louis businessman, Robert Palmer, took me into his home when I was a freshman. I saw first hand how to run a successful business while raising a happy and loving family, an invaluable life lesson. To my knowledge, he has yet to earn an award for his compassion, but as a friend he was everything I could ask for.

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When I was 18, I met one of the most influential individuals in my life. A CEO and philanthropist, David Sokol, mentored me, and showed me what the world has to offer. More importantly he demonstrated the significant impact of what giving back can do for an individual. While Mr. Sokol has an assortment of accomplishments, I can guarantee his time with me has reached no major publication.

Without these individuals I would not be standing here today. Each played a specific role, in my life and each was more than I could ever ask for. They proved to me that greatness is not reserved for those who complete improbable or unimaginable feats. It exists for everyone. When I originally wrote the premise of this speech in high school, I was convinced the underlining connection these individuals shared was their dedication to a cause. A mother’s cause, a coach’s cause, etc… It wasn’t until recently, a conversation with Professor Glenn MacDonald changed my perspective. Glenn explained to me very simply, “those devoted to a cause often forget those impacted by their actions, leaving a trail of devastation behind them.” It was at this point everything fell into place, and I finally discovered what was truly connecting all of the influences in my life. •

My mother’s greatness was not her dedication to providing life essentials but going beyond and providing love in the face of adversity.

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My football coach’s greatness was not his dedication to winning football games, but his development of his players.

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The St. Louis businessman’s greatness was not attributed to his exceptional business acumen, but rather the idea imparted upon me that running a business and raising a family is not mutually exclusive.

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The CEO’s greatness was not his financial contribution to scholarship organizations, but to the value he placed on mentoring scholarship recipients.

In every situation, dedication will have an impact. Dedication does not result in greatness; it is merely a prerequisite. Greatness is making sure the result of dedication is aimed at improving the lives of others. These examples are specific to my journey, but each of you have your own examples. Look around, in the audience to your left and right, greatness surrounds us, especially among those sitting with caps and gowns. Several seniors imprinted greatness upon me, but each of you has your connections. •

Whether it be David Dresner an individual who wishes to usher in the next equality under the law movement, while writing a movie, and starting a coffee and chocolate business. His dedication to creativity and passion has impacted the way countless at Olin and the greater Wash U view LGBT equality.

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Or maybe Alex Rosenburg, an exemplary student who has spent time his time building a better governing institution for Olin, and expanding Olin’s networking potential, all while keeping his arch nemesis in fashion at bay. His dedication to Olin’s development has helped several students achieve internships and career opportunities at Google.

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What about Aparna Misra, a student who is the head TA for one of the largest undergraduate classes, finishing her masters, graduating with honors, and not to mention a wealth of knowledge of credit ratings inflation? Her dedication to her to enhancing the Olin experience has earned her the respect of the DSP fraternity who expressed sincere appreciation honoring her as the DSP collegian of the year.

And I could go on and on. True greatness is achieved by impacting the lives of others, an ability everyone in this room is capable of. Take a moment to reflect on where you are now in your life. What influences have led you to today? Let me ask you, going forward what influence will you have on your surroundings? What impact will you leave on those around you? Because it is certain, we, Class of 2010, we will impact the world we live in. Some will be with kindness, some with genius, and some with hard work. Whichever way you choose, remember

that each decision and action you make will directly affect those around you, and it will be for you to determine the extent and direction of that impact. Class of 2010 we have spent the last four years developing relationships, skills and abilities necessary to impact the lives of others. We will embark with the backing of prestigious university and endless paths awaiting us. There is no correct path. It is up to you to decide which paths to travel and how you travel them. I urge you to travel each path with conviction while being cognizant of the impact you have on others. For one day you may be the greatness that inspires someone to walk across this stage.