Index of University Press Releases

May 7, 2007

Billion encourages DWU grads to restore global perspective
Laura Wehde - The Daily Republic

The armory in Mitchell was a flurry of activity Saturday as 207 Dakota Wesleyan University graduates hugged, snapped pictures with friends and lined up to receive their diplomas next door in the Corn Palace.

Friends Kalie Whealy and Keri Nebelsick were among those taking photos.

"I'm excited and sad," said Nebelsick. "I'm going to be attending optometry school in Chicago. I am excited to start new challenges, but sad to leave all of my friends here."

Across the room, Osara Kyles was chatting with commencement speaker Jack Billion.

"It's a great feeling. It is truly a blessing to go to school, let alone to add to your education. This is something that once you get, no one can take it away from you," said Kyles, who plans to go home to Monroe, La., to work as a teacher and a coach.

Two non-students were honored during the graduation ceremony: Howard L. Grinager, of Pierre, was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity; and Roger Musick, of Mitchell, was awarded an honorary doctorate of business administration.

Billion, a former Democratic candidate for governor and new chairman of the DWU Board of Trustees, gave a commencement speech laden with humor.

"As a parent of seven children, and a grandfather of 13 children, you can imagine my excitement and my anticipation when they offered me the possibility of attending one more commencement," Billion said. "I'm acutely aware of the profound interest levels that the average graduate holds at functions of this nature. So I would like to impart to you a message that you can carry with you, for at least part of the afternoon.

"My background is medicine. It's what I know. Medical advice for you graduates could be summarized with my recommendation for you to stay on your parent's health insurance coverage if at all possible."

Billion went on to share serious advice. He said his generation is handing graduates a world "in considerable crisis," fraught with an imbalance between rich and poor nations.

"You, the generation of new leaders, have the task of restoring global balance and global perspective and rediscovering a sense of social justice.

"I believe you will succeed," he continued, "because that is how you've been prepared at DWU. There is no generation that has had more access to knowledge. No generation that has had more opportunity than you as graduates today."

Billion left the graduates with a final quote that he attributed to Mark Twain.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the things you did do. Explore, dream, discover."