GRADUATION SPEECH BY PRESIDENT/CEO HOWARD TULLMAN
It’s an honor and a privilege to stand here tonight. We’ve all come a long way to reach this momentous time.
It’s been quite a journey, but none of us would give back even a single day because each and every one has been filled with the joy, excitement and challenges of building a special place - for a new kind of education - in an environment unlike any other in the country.
But all the tools, all the techniques, all the tricks of the trade and all the technology wouldn’t mean a thing if the end products – our graduates – didn’t turn out to be special and eventually to become some of the future leaders of the digital revolution.
And that’s why we’re all so proud today because, working hard and working together, we did it.
You are some of the most creative, talented, hard-working, responsible and nicest people we know. And your futures couldn’t be brighter.
But, more importantly, just as we hoped and expected, you’ve all changed and been changed for the better. I think your families see that as well. You’re Flashpoint people now and that actually means quite a bit. Let me explain.
In any room, in any situation, in any crisis or emergency – there are always the “Go To” guys or girls. The ones people turn to, the ones they count on in the crunch, the ones you’d bet the ranch on.
Why? Because they’re the ones who’ll get the job done. And done right and on time – whatever it takes.
Today, that’s all of you. The ones who’ll stand out in any crowd. The first ones picked for any team or project. The ones who will work the longest and hardest. The ones who want “it” the most – whatever “it” happens to be – and who want “it” all.
And, you know what? People see this attitude and energy … they smell and sense it …. they respect it … and then they get out of your way. After that, it’s all up to you.
It’s up to you to invite people to challenge and test you. To bite off way more than you can chew. To ask people to pile it on. To tell ‘em to point you to the mountain and then step aside.
The secret to all of this is really no secret at all. It’s to show your hand – to put it out there and take your best shot - not to hide your cards or your talent. Being too cool to care isn’t cool any more.
The fact is that - when you show people how much you want it - and how much you care, you’ll be amazed at the opportunities that present themselves. That’s the Flashpoint way.
So, somehow, and sometimes kicking, dragging and screaming, we got you all across the starting line. Not the finish line. The starting line.
Because this is only Day One of the rest of your life and, as we said when each of you walked into the front doors of Flashpoint for the first time – we want the rest of your life to be the best of your life and you, but only you, will make that happen.
Some things in life change every day and some things are true forever. 150 years ago, a writer named Henry David Thoreau said:
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost;
That’s where they should be.
Now put the foundations under them.
Loosely speaking, he meant that it’s great to have dreams and to aspire to great things, but – as we’re so fond of saying around here – “you get what you work for, not what you wish for”.
You don’t want your castles built on “pillars of sand” as Chris Martin from Coldplay recently said (and he should know, by the way, since he used to rule the world).
The fact is that your work is just starting. There’s no magic here. It’s simple. You can have all the talent, ingenuity and knowledge in the world, but without a rock-solid foundation (which we’ve given you) and without hard, focused, purposeful work (which is up to you); all that talent is basically useless.
Without teamwork, diligence, persistence and commitment, and a little thing called passion, even the best tools and skills don’t mean very much.
As I hope you’ve gathered from seeing how Flashpoint was built and how far it has come in so short a time, great things and dreams do come true – not by sheer strength, not by great good fortune, and not even by design alone – they come true because of the perseverance, the dedication, the faith and the commitment of a group of talented people who strive every day to make things a little better, and slowly, but surely, make great things happen.
I want to take a minute to personally thank all of our staff, our faculty – especially the Department chairs who are up here with us today - our steadfast and supportive investors and all of our students and their families for having the confidence to bet on us and for helping us make our dreams also come true.
I want to especially thank my senior management – Ric, Paula, Mario, Barb, Charles, Terry, Brad and Ernie for their dedication, loyalty, patience and faith. And my assistant Claire, especially Claire, for ALWAYS having a smile on her face and for brightening all of our days.
And I want to thank our families for the sacrifices they have all made as we spent countless hours, nights and weekends at work making Flashpoint a reality - and especially my wife Judy who has patiently suffered every up and every down at my side for too many years to count and who has never stopped believing that hard work and no sleep can make any dream come true.
And now I want to conclude by giving you some brief advice as you head off into the real world.
(1) Your work will always be what you do. It’s not who you are. Don’t confuse the two because all of these industries are tough and full of failure. Don’t lose yourself in the process.
(2) Your family now (and in the future) will be a much more important extension of yourself than any work you do. There’s always more work – you only have one family. Make sure you make room in your busy and exciting life for them. There are no “do-overs” in that department.
(3) Happiness that isn’t based on effort, pain and work isn’t real. If you don’t put the work into something, you don’t really know what it’s worth. Here again, it’s NEVER about the money or the bling. Life’s too short for that. It’s about joy and enthusiasm.
(4) As I said at the outset, we expect that you’ll become leaders of the digital revolution in the not too distant future. You should understand that it’s often lonely being a leader (although at least it’s not crowded) and painful to be the one who has to make the hard choices. But that’s how extraordinary results are achieved. Consensus is about finding the middle ground and making people feel good about themselves and each other. Teamwork is about getting the help you need to see your vision through to completion. But these tools will only take you so far. Most of the world’s great art, films and music are ultimately the result and the expression of a single, uncompromising vision. In the years ahead, you’ll each have your own chance and your opportunity to do or make something really special and spectacular – but only if you have the courage of your own convictions and the confidence to make it happen. We’ve given you the tools and the direction – the hardest choices will always be yours.
(5) Finally, our fondest hope and prayer for all of you is that you find something that you love to do and that you get to do it every day (just as we do) with a vengeance.
So that’s it. Your future’s ahead of you and we’re all just a little jealous because of the amazing world of opportunities and excitement that you’re about to enter.
We have great confidence in each of you and we believe that you’ll make your mark, you’ll make some history, and you’ll make us all proud. God bless you all.