SolBridge News
Wade Chilcoat: MBA Valedictorian Class of 2018
I know some of you right now are saying, “Wait, THAT guy is a student? I
thought that was Dr. Endicott!”
Well yes, I am a student here, and it is a great honour to be able to
speak in front of you all today. On behalf of the graduating class, I would
first like to give warm thanks to all of the hard-working folks on the 5th
floor who tirelessly keep the school running and rarely get any praise for it.
On behalf of all of us, thank you. Also, on behalf of the class, I would like
to express our sincere admiration for all of the amazing professors who have
mentored us, challenged us, and educated us. Without your devotion and
dedication, none of us would be here today. On behalf of the class, thank you.
And now I would like to turn my attention to my fellow graduates, the
“guests of honour”. Although today may feel like the ending to a long and
arduous journey, I have some news for you…today is just a new beginning. Being
educated is a lifelong process, not a onetime event. With the advent of the 4th
Industrial Revolution, the pace of change in the world of business is causing
paradigm shifts on a daily basis. All of that information we had to memorise
for our MIS and Marketing finals will be obsolete in three years. Commit to the
learning process and enjoy it; the world is constantly changing whether we like
it or not.
Now, I would like to comment on SolBridge itself. SolBridge is a special
place. In the entire MBA program, we have only one Korean student; the rest of
us come from every corner of the globe and speak every language imaginable.
Just as all of us served as ambassadors of our home nations here at SolBridge,
soon we will all return to our own countries and serve as ambassadors of
SolBridge. Take all of this vast knowledge you have acquired here and put it to
good use in your local community. If you want to change the world, help one
person at a time. Remember the friendships you have made here, and remember
that we are all much more alike than we are different.
To the new MBA graduates sitting here today, I say to you, “Job well
done!” And to any Fortune 500 CEO’s sitting here today, I say to you, “I am
looking for a job”.
Thanks and best of luck!