Commencement Speaker Carrie Morgridge Leaves 2023 Graduates With Message of āCommon Senseā
āIf you acquire an education, you have it forever. This is the gift of higher education.ā
Those are the words that æģ»īapp Chancellor Jeremy Haefner asked students to reflect on at the spring 2023 graduate commencement ceremony on June 9. On the warm, sunny Friday in Denver, more than 500 graduate and doctoral students gathered in Magness Arena to celebrate the conferring of their degrees. In total, more than 2,400 graduate and doctoral students will receive their degrees this spring.
The message of gifts and giving continued throughout the day, as the University awarded philanthropist Carrie Morgridge an honorary Doctorate of Education as the ceremonyās commencement speaker. As well as serving on æģ»īappās Board of Trustees for more than 10 years and heading up the Morgridge Family Foundation, Morgridge and her husband John are the benefactors of the Morgridge College of Education.
āAnd thatās just the beginning of Carrieās impact,ā Haefner says. ā[Itās] hard to overstate. Her drive, generosity and vision are truly inspiring, and Iām thrilled she is here to celebrate you allāthe next generation of æģ»īapp alumni committed to serving the public good.ā
Morgridge began her remarks with a nod to the family, friends and loved ones of graduates who have supported them throughout their academic and professional journeys at æģ»īapp.
āThere is so much to celebrateānot only today, but for a lifetime,ā she says. āAs you celebrate the culmination of years of hard work and dedication, your graduation from the æģ»īapp represents a significant milestone, and you should be proud of the achievements that have brought you here today.ā
Morgridge touched on the impact of æģ»īappās 4D Experience and its importance to the Universityās vision for the future. She also acknowledged and outlined the four dimensions of æģ»īappās holistic approach to education: Intellectual growth, purpose, well-being and character.
āWe all know æģ»īapp is well known for being a āprivate institution dedicated to the public good.ā Thatās probably what brought you to this great university,ā she says. āYour æģ»īapp graduate degree is a sign that you have not only invested in your future, you also obtained your advanced degree from an institution that is truly leading the way.ā
After a year of success, she saluted the accomplishments of æģ»īappās graduate student-athletes, lauding the exploits of æģ»īappās womenās gymnastics, menās hockey, womenās lacrosse, menās and womenās skiing and menās soccer teams. Morgridge cheered and whooped as she named the leaders from each team who were graduating.
And Morgridge couldnāt continue with her speech without a special mention of the graduates from the Morgridge College of Education, she says.
āThe Morgridge College of Ed is training teachers for tomorrow, school leaders, counselors, school psychologists, researchers and information scientistsāall to help accelerate access to GREAT education and mental health services in Colorado and beyond,ā she says, smiling. āIām like a proud mama bear.ā
Morgridgeās remarks continued with an ode to common sense, something that she said āoften comes in handyā for her and her team at the Morgridge Family Foundation.
āI seem to use common sense on a daily basisāthe same way I use my ChatGPT,ā she says, laughing. āSo, I hope these iconic phrases are helpful for you too. Not just for today, but for a lifetime.ā
Then began declarations of call-and-response, with Morgridge asking the audience to finish a series of well-known common sense phrases.
āActions speak louder thanā¦ā she paused.
āWords!ā the crowd responded.
āIf it aināt brokeā¦donāt fix it!ā
āDonāt put all your eggsā¦in one basket!ā
āThe early birdā¦catches the worm!ā
Morgridge closed her remarks with a quote famously attributed to President Abraham Lincoln.
āYou can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time,ā she says.
Morgridge encouraged the graduates to think about their own common-sense values as they carried their æģ»īapp degrees and experiences into the world.
āIn conclusion, let us always remember the importance of common sense in our daily lives,ā she says. āIt is not just a simple concept, but a guiding principle that can help us make better decisions and navigate through lifeās challenges.ā