Newswise — This spring, more than 100,000 graduates will join a California State University alumni network 3.3 million strong. Some of the remarkable alumni who are "Made in the CSU" shared their words of wisdom for the class of 2017. Here's what they had to say:
Keely Bosler
Cabinet Secretary, State of California, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr
CSU Chico, B.S., Agricultural Business (1997)
"Trust yourself and be patient. Be kind and work hard. Listen and never stop learning. These are the building blocks for success no matter what path you take. Along the way, take chances and don't sell yourself short. You will have setbacks—learn from them. Keep being kind and working hard, and be connected to your family, your friends, your community. Strive for a deeper understanding of issues and seek diverse perspectives. And through it all, be happy."
Deborah Ale Flint
Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports
San José State, B.S., Accounting (1990)
"You are solely and ultimately responsible for being the best version of you. Being the best version of you is why you are here."
Isaac Larian
Chief Executive Officer, MGA Entertainment, Inc.
Cal State L.A., B.S., Civil Engineering (1978)
"Don't be afraid to fail. Follow your dreams. Make your own luck. Only hard work pays."
Neda Nobari
Fashion Industry Executive & Philanthropist
San Francisco State, B.S., Computer Science (1984)
"As you will soon experience, life happens in an instant and it unfolds in ways that you could have never imagined or been prepared for. It's important to know—as your parents may remind you of this often—that as difficult as life's challenges might seem, new doors will always open and new opportunities will be around the corner."
William "Bill" A. Ruh
Vice President & Corporate Officer, GE Global Software Headquarters
CSU Fullerton, B.S. Computer Science (1983), M.S. Computer Science (1984)
"You cannot control the economy, politics or society. Here is a piece of advice: You need to control and own your own story. It helps you live with the ups and downs of the economy."
"Hope is not a strategy. Develop a strategy for your career. You need to write down ten things you would like to accomplish in your career. It sounds goofy as can be, but I wrote them down. When opportunities came along, I would seize them. For instance, I wrote down that I wanted to publish a book. I didn't know anything about writing a book. Now I've ended up writing four of them. It may take you 30 years, but look at the goals you want to accomplish in your career. Take out that list periodically and check it."
Lori Volk
Chief Believer and Founder, Lori's Original Lemonade
CSU Channel Islands, B.S., Psychology (2005)
"Believe in your dreams and yourself with all the passion you can find, and others will believe in you too."
RSS