Watch Kendrick deliver his speech here:

http://www.temple.edu/media/commencement-09/on-demand/

Good morning everyone, and welcome to faculty, staff, administration, distinguished guests, family and friends, and most notably, the graduating class of 2009. 

I know it is difficult to sit still this morning thinking about the many things that brought us here - the countless hours spent studying, stressing, seldom sleeping, and pleading with financial aid to take the hold off our academic accounts.
For some of us this is a time of nervous excitement, wondering what the future holds when we leave here today: we are wondering whether we made the right decision concerning our careers or pursuing a graduate degree.  For a lot of us, this is just a reminder that we are one step closer to paying back our students loans, if we haven’t started already.  But whatever your thoughts and feelings are today, know that we have accomplished no small task!

We are entering into a unique time in our country’s history where the challenges are new and different, and no one will play a more crucial role than this graduating class of 2009.  It is imperative that we approach this time with the right attitude and mindset or these challenges can seem overwhelming and our goals appear unattainable.

The economy is in trouble, and we need leaders with an unrivalled sense of ingenuity and integrity.  Who better to tackle this problem than the cunning young business minds out of Fox School of Business?

Who has the solution to our toughest infrastructure and energy challenges?  We need leaders with a superior sense of obligation and mastery.  Who better to accept this challenge than the innovative minds out of the College of Engineering?
My time as a resident assistant has made me privy to a unique perspective of the Temple Community that only a few share, but my time as an Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 628 here in North Philadelphia has given me an even more exclusive gaze into the lives of the Philadelphia community, specifically those of the youth.  The same youth we brush shoulders with everyday in the hustle and bustle of campus life.  They need a positive reinforcement around every corner, especially when they arrive to school expecting to be held to a standard of mediocrity. So when it comes to lifting up our youth and encouraging them realize their intellectual potential, who better equipped to nurture and develop them than the resourceful and patient graduates out of the College of Education?

It would be easy for me to sing the praises of every school represented here today, but most importantly, the world needs what each and every one of us has, so work diligently to master your craft. We must learn to be easily satisfied with the very best!  Gone are the days of reading about the accomplishments of others in history books, but future generations will write about whether we triumphed or were defeated, our high points and low points, and whether we used our time, gifts, and talents to make life better for others. We may not ever become the most rich and famous, but we have the ability to enrich the lives of those around us.  Our most meaningful interactions will not come from speaking to the masses or crowds, but from the intimate time spent with close friends, family, and sometimes complete strangers, helping to polish those diamonds in our own back yard. 

Thinking back over our collegiate careers, it was not always clear why we went through the things we did, but our time here will be less meaningful if we cannot see the value in our struggles and our failures, not just academically, but in life in general.  It has been said that if you want to impress someone, share with them your successes, but if you want to impact someone share with them your failures. On one hand, sharing these stories can help to shift the course of someone’s life, and on the other hand, it can serve as a gentle reminder that there is much room for improvement.  Nevertheless, our shortcomings are an integral part of who we are, and where we are!  Today is a testament to that very fact!  At times it has been difficult to maintain our friendships, squeeze 30 hours of work into the span of 24, take every summer session imaginable trying to graduate in 4 years, find and keep a job to maintain our livelihood, and we have even contemplated switching our majors after consulting “ratemyprofessor.com.”  Yet we have assembled here today to celebrate and acknowledge this momentous occasion!

Take pride in who you are and what you have become, Proud Graduates of Temple University, and if for no other reason than the fact that no one can do you quite like you.  Understanding that we have been adequately prepared, we must begin today, walking in our purpose.  Our purpose? To be a fruitful and transformational seed in an uncertain and infertile ground!  Somewhat contradictory, yes! Impossible, absolutely not!

When we begin to walk in our purpose, our impact will be felt around the world, and in the words inspired by Winston Churchill “History will be kind to us, because we intend to write it.”