Staten Island, Saturday, May 14, 2011 “I speak to you today as a friend of St. John’s University, a journalist covering the global economy, and as a girl from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I graduated from Fontbonne Hall Academy in Bay Ridge and had many friends who went on to St. John’s after Fontbonne.” “My brother Pat is a graduate of St. John’s. He commuted between the Staten Island campus and Queens in the College of Business Administration. He graduated with an accounting degree and loved his time here. I grew up watching my older brother love his time here as president of the radio station WMOC. He was one of my mentors as a girl. St. John’s was part of our life as a family.” “Today we celebrate the class of 2011 as you embark on a new journey and a fresh start. As I look back on the last 20 years in covering the economy and the global markets, it is truly extraordinary what we have witnessed: a housing boom and eventual bust, the worst financial collapse since the great depression; a technology revolution, helping us in so many ways while also enabling revolution elsewhere with the uprising of people wanting freedom; an individual investor revolution with 100 million investors today; an oil and commodities boom driven by growth from countries outside of the US; a globalization of business and financial markets.” “In just the last three years, so much has changed, the worst financial collapse since the great depression, unemployment persisting at high levels. In this dynamic, competitive and ever changing world you will need many things as you embark on this new chapter in your life." “You will need to work hard. There are no shortcuts in life. This is one of life’s most important lessons. You will need to find and cultivate your passions. Find out what is it you love to do and then pursue it. Loving what you do will enable you to work hard but do so with joy.” “You will need your integrity. You must always do the right thing. We all know the answer, in our hearts, when we are faced with a dilemma. Don’t try to do the right thing. Do the right thing. Make up your mind today. What kind of person you want to be. If you want to be a person who always tries to do the right thing then you must commit to that ahead of time. Because when life’s moral question appear, they appear suddenly and out of nowhere and you need to be ready for those future choices. Sometimes doing the right thing is going to be an easy choice. But sometimes it will be a lonely, difficult, frightening choice and you need to be mentally prepared today to do the right thing tomorrow.” “There are few things that will follow you everywhere you go on this journey. Integrity and reputation will follow you everywhere you go. Protect them.” “St. John’s has helped you grow and you now know that success comes with preparation and hard work. You will need to reach into your faith, your value system to do the right thing at all times.” “Finally, you will need courage. As you explore the future and embark on this next chapter, have the courage to believe in yourself. Have the courage to always do the right thing.” “They (my grandparents) lived the American dream. It was a hard working and tough life. But it was the American dream. They worked hard so the next generation could have a better life then they did.”
Read the Full Story: CNBC's Maria Bartiromo Lauds Graduates at Staten Island Ceremony