Fall 2025 Commencement Speech: The Journey Towards Why

There is a quote that is often attributed to the famed writer Mark Twain, “The two most important days in your life are the day that you are born and the day that you find out why.” This quote appeals to me because it speaks to the question of our very existence and suggests that we are all on a constant journey of self-discovery. As graduates, you should be able to readily identify with this quote. How many times did you find yourself in classes, particularly when you were fulfilling core requirements, asking yourself, why am I here? Why do I need to understand the difference between exponential and quadratic equations? I am planning to teach English. Why do I need to know the fundamental causes of the American Civil War or the historiography behind Truman’s decision to use the atomic bomb? I am planning to be an Engineer. Why do I need to understand chemistry terms like absorption or hydration reaction; biology terms like Abiogenesis or Homeostasis; or psychology terms like cognitive dissonance or divergent thinking? I am planning to start a business.    

Outside of the classroom, there were so many situations when you asked yourself why. Why did I join this student organization when I knew that I did not like any of these people? Why did I agree to go to the party at that fraternity house when I knew that it was unwise and unregistered? Why did I ever, ever, ever, start dating this crazy person when all the red flags of don’t do it lit up bright red like Reynold Razorback stadium before a football game?        

The truth about Twain’s quote is that only the first day is automatic. We are all born and most of us know that day. We celebrate birthdays annually - some with great amounts of flamboyance and style. The second day referenced in the quote is largely aspirational. Fewer people experience it. Fewer people know their purpose. Fewer people uncover meaning in their existence. Fewer people find their true why. The search for why is the journey that brings us to a better place of understanding who we are and why our life matters. It is a voyage that enables us to align who we are with where we are and what we desire to be. The question for you as graduates is what behavior must you employ to find your why? 

The first need for finding your why is that you must develop and activate strong critical thinking skills. These are the people who constantly examine and assess themselves and the people and conditions around them. They use social media, but they don’t trust it. They watch and listen to pundits, politicians, and journalists, but they question and challenge them. They are slow to accept information at face value, preferring to analyze and probe deeper meaning. These people don’t intend to be skeptical or difficult. It’s just that so many things in life are far more complex than often perceived, and that’s something they learned in those core course requirements that they didn’t want to take. These are the people who will dig deep into self-discovery, excavating personal truths that will serve as the foundation for their discovery of why. 

Once they find these personal truths, those in search of their why exhibit the courage to use them. Courage is a critical characteristic to finding your why. Most people struggle to be courageous. It is far easier to conform to social norms, and we are all affected by what others think. I remember being a freshman in college declaring my major in history. When I informed others, they looked at me curiously as if I had done something wrong. They often followed with a question, “What are you going to do, teach?” as if teaching was some wasted career aspiration for someone who could do so many other more status-filled and lucrative things. I am so glad that I had the courage to stay with my interest. I am so glad that I didn’t allow anyone to shame me away from what I wanted to do. I love my career trajectory. When I worked as a professor, I had the privilege of teaching some of the best students and people in the world right here at the University of Arkansas. Then, I became an administrator, empowered not only to continue helping students but also faculty and staff as well. Now, I am the chancellor of the best university in the country. I get to confer your degrees. Later, we are going to call the hogs together. I get to ensure that we carve your names into senior walk. Man, it doesn’t get much better than this.  I get to do these things because I had the courage to follow my interest and find my why.     

The last thing that you must possess to attain your why is a dogged determination to achieve your goals. So many people get on the path that aligns with their interests, but when the storms of challenge and difficulty come, they flee to a convenient shelter and stray from the route that leads to their why. I can assure you that as you press toward the mark of your higher calling there will be difficult days ahead - days when you feel the heavy weight of disappointment, despondency and even despair. But it is in those times you must find the strength to keep moving forward. You must activate a resilience that affirms that no matter how difficult the moment or frustrating the circumstance, nothing or no one will turn you around. You need resilience that reflects that there “Ain’t no mountain high enough, no valley low enough, no river wide enough,” to keep you from reaching your why. You need resilience that asserts that “haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate; but I’m gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake; shake it off” to finding my why. You need resilience that declares that “I've got the eye of a tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire because I am a champion and you are going to hear me roar!” Nothing will keep me from destiny.  Nothing will move me from my purpose.   I will find my why - No Diggity, No Doubt! 

Congratulations, graduates!