Congratulations, Class of 2008!
First, I want to thank the Daily Bruin for this opportunity to say “Bravo!” to our 2008 graduates.
Earning a degree from a world-class university is a great accomplishment and something to be very proud of. Your UCLA family takes pride in each of you and in your accomplishments here. We look forward to what you will achieve in the future.
Commencement is a milestone: one journey completed and many more to come. Wherever you go, your UCLA education will provide a strong foundation. The future is what you make of it, and you are now equipped to succeed.
One of UCLA’s most important roles is preparing the next generation of leaders. The excellence that you brought here made it easier for us to meet this goal. You came to UCLA as the best of the best from your high schools or colleges, and you graduate as the best of the best of this year’s new workforce and scholars.
I’m sure you have formed friendships here that will last a lifetime and learned much about yourself and others. I hope you have also developed a love for learning. Learning never stops. Always strive to learn more, grow more, achieve more.
Some of you have discovered your life’s passion here; some will find it later. When you do, follow it and know that you will succeed. There will be challenges along the way; how you react is up to you. Make the best of the good and the bad, and learn from all of it. As Coach John Wooden said, “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
Though you may no longer be on campus every day, you will never really “leave” UCLA. You are Bruins for life. It is now your responsibility to stay engaged with the university and to provide support so that those who follow you will have the same opportunities you did. In doing so, the great Bruin legacy will continue and grow.
Again, congratulations. I wish you the very best in this new chapter in your life. We’ll be here, eager to see your achievements.
Gene Block is chancellor of UCLA.