Commencement speakers urge grads to use business to change the world
By
Kim Girard
Undergraduates backstage get ready for the big moment. Photo: Noah Berger
Hundreds of UC Berkeley Haas School of Business graduates walked the stage at the Greek Theatre last week, celebrating May commencement as speakers shared a common theme: now more than ever, business has the power—and responsibility—to change the world.
Last Monday, in the morning chill, 350 Berkeley Haas undergraduates received diplomas. On Friday afternoon, as the sun broke through the clouds, both the Full-time MBA students and evening & weekend students came together for commencement. Graduates included a total of 249 full-time MBA students and 309 evening & weekend MBA students.
Dean Rich Lyons, who delivered welcoming remarks during both commencements for the final time before wrapping up 11 years as dean to return to the faculty, spoke of the impact of the school’s culture and Defining Leadership Principles (DLPs): Question the Status Quo, Confidence Without Attitude, Students Always, and Beyond Yourself.
“Taken in whole, these Defining Leadership Principles reflect who you have been as students,” he told the MBA graduates. “And I know they will serve as guideposts for you going forward. Use them to create purpose for yourselves and those around you.”
Undergraduate Commencement Highlights
Undergrad commencement speakers Nikhil Arora and Alejandro (Alex) Velez, BS 09, founders of Back to the Roots, tell grads: “We’ve learned and experienced how the rules of capitalism are being rewritten. A new form of capitalism is emerging. The status quo is no longer enough in business.”Undergraduate student speaker and varsity track & field athlete Asha Culhane-Husain, who is moving to Paris after commencement to pursue her master’s degree, gave part of her speech in spoken word format. “Haas class of 2018, to stand here is to stand in front of an audience full of leaders, truth seekers, and dreamers.”Dean Lyons receives a standing ovation while accepting the Culture of Haas award at undergraduate commencement. Photo: Noah BergerSee you at reunion! (That’s Angela Escobedo, BS 18)
Watch the full ceremony:
Undergraduate Awards
Departmental Citation (to the student with the most outstanding academic achievement in the field of business): Nitisha Baronia
Question the Status Quo: Daniel Shepard
Confidence Without Attitude: Austin Drake
Students Always: Stephanie Pin-Shin Huang
Beyond Yourself: Michael Wong
Culture of Haas Award: Dean Rich Lyons
Cheit Award for Excellence in Teaching: Lecturer Cort Worthington
Full-time and Evening & Weekend MBA Commencement Highlights
Ready to roll.The scene on the floor of the Greek.Dean Lyons, left, with commencement speaker Paul Rice, MBA 96 and president & CEO of Fair Trade USA. Rice spoke about conscious consumerism and the power every person has to make change. “The world desperately needs you. The world of your children desperately needs you. Never has there been more opportunity for a generation of purposeful business leaders to go out and make a difference.” Photo: Tenny Frost
Watch the full ceremony:
“The biggest lesson I have learned here at Haas is that leadership is an act of service.” —Evening & weekend MBA student speaker Amelia Rose Kusar“The opposite of confidence isn’t uncertainty—it’s arrogance.” —Full-time MBA student speaker Jeffrey Thomas Webb
Evening & Weekend MBA Awards
Academic Award: Dmitry Kovalev
Question the Status Quo:
Pedro Moura & Miles Scotcher
Confidence Without Attitude:
Anthony Barrs
Students Always: Bill Collins
Beyond Yourself: Myles Young Lam
The Berkeley Leader Award: Candice Madruga Knoll
Full-time MBA Awards
Academic Award: John Richard Morgan
Question the Status Quo: Erin Nikole Gums
Confidence Without Attitude:
Gabriela Belo
Students Always: Liz Koenig
Beyond Yourself: Tal Eidelman
The Berkeley Leader Award:
Om Dattatraya Chitale
Cheit Awards for Excellence in Teaching
Evening & Weekend Berkeley MBA Program: Prof. Xiao-Jun Zhang for weekend and Senior Lecturer Holly Schroth for evening
Full-time Berkeley MBA Program: Asst. Prof. Juliana Schroeder