First Lady Michelle Obama, UNI Commencement (Excerpt) - May 7, 2011

First Lady Michelle Obama gives the commencement address at the University of Northern Iowa May 7, 2011

"And then I want you to think about all those other men and women who have come before you, the long list of distinguished alumni who have sat where you're sitting today. There's Molly Boyle, Iowa's Teacher of the Year. Chuck Grassley, a six-term U.S. Senator. The first African-American principal in Iowa, Walter Cunningham. Nancy Powell, the Director-General of the United States Foreign Service.

And then there's Nancy Aossey. Nancy grew up in Cedar Rapids, dreaming of faraway countries and peoples. She got her B.A. and her MBA at UNI in the early '80s, and then took a job selling phones. She went out to California, where she heard about a small startup nonprofit called International Medical Corps, an organization that worked in those faraway lands, responding to emergencies and helping local residents become self-reliant. She asked if they needed a volunteer, and it turned out they needed a CEO. So Nancy listened to her heart. She took over, and IMC took off. All told, they've directed more than a billion dollars in assistance and training worldwide. They've touched millions of lives, from Somalia, to the Balkans, to Haiti and Japan. And as CEO, Nancy has earned awards that put her in the company of Presidents, Generals, Nobel Prize recipients and Oscar winners.

Now you might hear Nancy's story and think, "That's pretty cool...but I could never do something like that." But if there's one thing I want to leave you with, it's this: this university and this state have given you everything you need to do something exactly like that. The values you've learned here—commitment to family, openness to diversity, willingness to serve your community and your country, the courage to follow your passion—those are the keys to success in any field. They are the building blocks of a fulfilling life."

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

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• Nancy Powell
• Molly Boyle
• Chuck Grassley
• Walter Cunningham