Schools

Napolitano Encourages Emory Grads to Embrace Changing World

Urges public service, help for others

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano delivered the keynote address at the commencement ceremony Monday morning, encouraging graduates to get involved with government and public service and take advantage of the ever-changing world.

"Today, we live in a world where change is a certainty, and where the pace of that change is growing ever faster," Napolitano said to a crowd of about 15,000 that included over 3,500 graduates representing Emory’s undergraduate and graduate programs. "Your challenge as graduates will be to figure out how to take advantage of the dynamism of today's world and use your unique skills to make it better." 

Keeping her tone light, friendly and even humorous at times, her address focused on today’s graduates, encouraging them to meet the challenges facing them after college with creativity and energy.

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Speaking of Emory’s long and illustrious history, Napolitano talked about how people communicated in the school’s early years.  In those days, she said, there was no Twitter.

"You’re probably twittering during my talk," she joked.

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No Facebook or news networks such as CNN either.  People had to actually talk to each other.  News could take days, weeks, or even months to spread.

"If you wanted to chat with your friends, you actually had to go see them. You actually had to leave your dorm room and go visit with them," she joked.

By contrast, she said change is a certainty today and the pace is growing faster and faster, offering both greater opportunities and risks.  

"Look at the last four years," she said, "the economic landscape has changed dramatically; we’ve lived through a historic presidential election;  across the world, we’ve seen the rise of China and India while democratic movements are taking place in Egypt and Tunisia.  And today, young people are empowered to shape the world as we envision it."

In the tradition of commencement addresses, Napolitano offered advice to her young listeners, telling them that there are always opportunities for people to give back to their communities.  It is critical, she emphasized, to give your time and talents, to help people learn, to help others after disaster strikes. 

She urged graduates to accept the challenge of government service for a portion of their careers and warned them not to fall for a cynical view.  

"Democracy in a big country like our has always been noisy. It's always been contentious," she said. "Don’t be afraid to dive in."

Napolitano is the first woman to oversee the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a position that was created after the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States. She is the former governor and attorney general of Arizona.


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