The champion commencement speeches are often motivational and thought-provoking, leaving caller graduates optimistic arsenic they caput into nan "real world."
But for nan Class of 2024 astatine nan University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, caller grads walked distant pinch much than conscionable a wealthiness of knowledge — they near their ceremonial pinch an other $1,000 successful their pockets.
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Last week, nan laminitis and CEO of Granite Telecommunications, Robert Hale Jr., said to grads astatine nan University of Massachusetts Dartmouth astir their futures and shared a communicative astir a clip erstwhile his business suffered a $1 cardinal nonaccomplishment successful conscionable 1 time to explicate nan value of perseverance done failure.
"It's okay to fail," Hale told graduates. "Life will springiness you challenges and if you return those challenges you'll neglect from clip to clip — don't interest astir it … don't fearfulness failure, understand that it's conscionable portion of nan process, and if you usage that fearfulness of nonaccomplishment to motivate yourself, you'll beryllium amended for it."
Then, arsenic he wrapped up, he shocked nan assemblage by announcing he was giving each postgraduate graduate $1,000 — but location was a catch.
"These trying times person heightened nan request for sharing, caring, and giving," Hale told students. "Our organization needs you and your generosity much than ever."
The students were fixed 2 envelopes pinch $500 each — 1 was intended for nan students to support for themselves while nan different was for them to springiness to personification other successful need.
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"As nan grade conferral was astir to begin, Hale came guardant and fto nan graduates cognize he had 1 much spot of proposal for them. He told nan eager crowd that for him and his woman Karen, 'the top joys we've had successful our life person been nan gift of giving,'" UMass Dartmouth said successful a release. "Hale fto nan Class of 2024 cognize that nan 2 ample duffle bags being brought up connected shape by information were packed pinch envelopes afloat of cash."
There were astir 1,200 students successful UMass Dartmouth's 2024 graduating class.
Hale's existent net worth is an estimated $5.4 billion.