The Love of Learning and a Life of Meaning

I had the honor and pleasure of delivering the Commencement Address to the Graduates of UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Communication on Saturday, May 11, 2019.

My remarks are titled, "The Love of Learning and a Life of Meaning."

Video | Transcript below

Thank you, Dr. Parker, and Good Evening faculty, staff, parents, guests, and graduates! 

Class of 2019 - What a joy to stand before you this evening – the eve of your graduation. 

I spent a good deal of time reflecting on what I might share with you. 

Through that process, I couldn’t help but go down memory lane, to when I was in your shoes, 20 years ago. 

My goodness, so much has changed! Back in the 90s…

- we typed our papers in the computer lab (because no one had a laptop!), 

- we were just getting introduced to email, 

- and were still a few years from everyone having a cell phone, let alone social media. 

But we thought we were winning back then, because we didn’t have to wait in line at Woolen Gym to register for classes! 

Yep, we had CAROLINE - The high-tech, automated phone system for class registration. 

First, UNC would mail you a course catalog. It was a thick book with newspaper-thin pages outlining every class available and its special pin code. 

Then, on the right day at the right time, you would start dialing, and dialing, and dialing until you got past the busy signal and got into the system. 

Once in, you had to be quick and enter the class codes because they would fill up fast – and you didn’t want an 8am class! 

Ironically, it was through this this cumbersome process that I discovered my love for the field of communication.  

I remember pouring through the old course catalog and using a felt-tip marker to circle all the classes that intrigued me. 

I circled public speaking, persuasion, introduction to interpersonal communication, organizational ethics, and so on… 

All the classes I circled were – you guessed it! – communication studies. I (happily) became a communication major. 

And thank goodness I made that choice. I was able to take classes with talented professors such as Dr. Steve May, who also served as my thesis advisor and has been such a great mentor and friend to me over the years. 

It is through those classes and with these talented professors, like Dr. May, that I realized how important, relevant, and meaningful the study of communication is.

[#1 THE VALUE OF A COMMUNICATION DEGREE]

This reflection gets me to the first message I want to share with you today: The value of your communication degree. 

Some of you may go into academia and shape our field (I hope you do), but I suspect most of you will journey like me into business, or government, or the nonprofit sector…

...or maybe you will launch your own venture or go to Hollywood?! 

Wherever you go, whatever sector you choose, there is such a need for those who are deeply skilled in the art and science of communication. 

I’ve come to think of communication as a horizontal. 

Whereas some fields are more vertical, communication skills are useful and relevant across so many sectors and industries. 

And when you pair your superb communication skills with your own unique passions, you unlock a powerful combination. 

The communication skills I was able to develop at UNC, paired with my own passion for helping people and communities, has served me well… 

…In Government – at the White House, where I had the pleasure of being the liaison to the all national service programs, like Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Senior Corps; 

…In Business – at a global healthcare company called GlaxoSmithKline, where I was able to direct their health philanthropy and corporate responsibility in the US

…and In the Nonprofit Section – at Achieving the Dream, where I was able to help them with a national expansion to serve more community colleges. 

I share this to assure you (or maybe assure your parents!), that - from Chapel Hill to Capitol Hill, from Main Street to Wall Street – there are so many meaningful communication roles in all sorts of places and spaces, including some sectors you may not have considered. 

There is great value in your degree. 

[#2: THE LOVE OF LEARNING] 

And now here you are, all decked-out in your cap and gown. 

You are a scholar. Whether you think yourself one or not, you are. 

You put in many hours, days, months, and years of hard work, and you’ve earned this very respected and coveted degree from one of the finest universities in the nation.

But let me ask you: Is this cap adorning your head, this crowning achievement… 

…Is it the culmination of a dusty and difficult scholastic path filled with checking boxes and just going through the motions? 

…Or was it a journey that sparkled with curiosity, wonder, and an insatiable love of learning? 

The knowledge you acquired here can take you far in life, but it is the love of learning that will make your steps shimmer along the way. 

[DA VINCI EXAMPLE]

Probably the best example of what it means to be a life-long learner is Leonardo Da Vinci. 

I was recently captivated with his extraordinary life when I read his biography by Walter Isaacson. 

For those who don’t know, Da Vinci was the original “Renaissance Man” and a giant in human history. 

He was the brilliant artist behind the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and often credited with having invented the parachute, helicopter, and tank. 

The scope and depth of his interests were unprecedented in recorded history. He was an inventor, painter, sculptor, architect, scientist, mathematician, engineer, botanist, astronomer, cartographer, and more. 

...The Man Loved Learning!

Walter Isaacson described him as having regular “moments of marvel at the phenomena that the rest of us rarely pause to ponder after we’ve outgrown our wonder years.”

I have good news – if you haven’t been swept up in the love of learning, yet, it’s not too late. 

You can start flexing that muscle of curiosity, feeding the hunger of wonder, and tapping into the love of learning. 

In the last few years, I’ve been surprised with how taken I’ve become with plants. I became a master gardener and it’s like a rabbit hole, leading to more questions and more conversations and more people!

As you stay curious and imaginative, your life expands and there’s room for great joy. I have found the love of learning to be one of the most precious treasures of a meaningful life. 

[#3 CHANGING TIMES & INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION] 

Going forward, with this powerful degree in-hand, coupled with your unique passions and a fierce love of learning in your heart, you will be well-positioned for the changing times ahead. 

Yes, I think it is fair to say we are living in rapidly changing times. 

Here are some fast facts for you: 

- Graduates today are likely to have 17 different jobs across 5 different industries… (some quick math - I’ve already had 10 jobs across 6 industries!)

- 65% of the jobs today didn’t even exist twenty years ago, when I was graduating back in 1999, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. 

- Going forward, it is predicted that 25% to nearly 50% of the work we currently do will be replaced with technology by 2033. 

Heather McGowan – a Futurist and the Number One Education Influencer on LinkedIn – talks about how “The Future of Work is Learning.” 

She says we are entering a whole new Era. We have gone from the Industrial to the Information Era, and now the Augmented Era. 

Going forward, we can expect work to become more automated (think chat box and Watson).

According to McGowan, navigating this new normal will require a few things: 

1) Adaptability will be a must,

2) Lifelong learning will be a norm, and 

3) Our uniquely human skills – our empathy, our communication - will be highly valued. 

[#4 A LIFE OF MEANING]

In summary, you have earned a degree with value that should serve you well now and through the augmented years to come. 

Your professors, faculty, staff, and alumni, including myself, have a vision for you: That you would become citizen-scholars and build a better North Carolina and a better world.

I encourage you to take your highly refined and valuable communication skills, couple them with your own unique passions, keep an open mind and open heart about where – and through what sectors - your journey might lead…

...and set out on your path. 

As Picasso said, “Your call is to find your gift, and your purpose is to give it away.”

Through it all, remember to embrace the love of learning, it will enrich your life and empower you in the changing times ahead. 

[CLOSING]

Funny enough, as you close out your formal education, I am just beginning my next chapter. 

Next week, I start a three and a half year doctoral program in community college leadership! 

I’m excited but also a little nervous. I really appreciate my parents, Renee and Jeff Loovis, and my friend Bryan, for being here and encouraging and supporting me as I head in this new direction. 

So, to wrap it up, this is my hope and prayer for you – and for me – for us, as we start our new adventures: 

- May our minds be captivated with curiosity and our souls filled with a song… 

- May our passion be for the public good and our path paved in peace…

- May our time be spent, only, on what is true, good, and beautiful...

- And May we all know the Love of Learning and a Life of Meaning. 

You are now charged with advancing communication for the public good. Do something worthy! Congratulations Class of 2019!