All 5 of you have worked hard to get to this moment.
You survived many qualification exams, many many mid terms and final exams, thesis and board exams.
Congratulations on your great achievements!
Long ago, Samuel Johnson said, "Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless,
but knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful."
Warren Buffet, $37B contributor, updated that notion:
"In looking for people to hire, look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy.
But if they don’t have the first, the other two will kill you."
Ready or not, some day it will all come to end. There will be no more sunrise, no minutes, hours or days.
All things you collected, whether it is your degrees, treasured or forgotten, will pass away.
It will not matter what you owe or what you were owed.
So what will matter? How will the value of your degrees or achievements be measured?
What will matter is not what you achieved but what you contributed to the community,
not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you set an example.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched,
empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your charater.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories of those who loved you.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident.
It is not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
Choose to live a life that matters, integrity.