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Despite a college experience disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ������Ƶ School of Management (SOM) Class of 2022 was celebrated for its resiliency and encouraged to help make the world a better place.

“This is a strong finish, with the ability to gather in person with friends and family to celebrate your success. The Class of 2022 might just be the most flexible and adaptive class in the history of SOM!” said Shelley Dionne, associate dean of SOM.

Nearly 480 students were awarded their bachelor’s degrees at the SOM Commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22. Several SOM master’s and PhD students received their degrees at the Doctoral Hooding and Master’s ceremonies earlier in the week.

Dionne highlighted how the skills the Class of 2022 developed during the past few years will be useful after they leave Binghamton.

“Leaders embrace change, find new ways to solve old problems, propose groundbreaking pathways and help followers do the same,” she said. “You are well prepared and poised to be change agents that lead by example.”

Dionne asked the audience to take a moment of silence to honor Upinder Dhillon, the longtime dean of SOM who died earlier this spring. She cited an adaptation of a quote by Abraham Lincoln to convey the impact of Dhillon’s leadership.

“I like to see a person proud of the place in which they live. I like to see a person live so that their place will be proud of them,” she said.

“We hope this quote stays with you as you make your way in the world. Remember, SOM will always be your place. We are proud of you.”

Bob Swan, MBA ’85, was awarded an honorary degree during the ceremony. Swan has led a number of prominent tech companies over his career, and was CEO of Intel until early 2021. In his remarks, he recalled that he never imagined while in college that he’d have such a prolific career.

“It just goes to show that anything is possible, and that you should all dream big,” he said.

Swan noted that the Class of 2022 attended college during an historic time.

“While the challenges of the last four years have been monumental, we have also seen the power of resiliency. We’ve seen countries, companies, universities and individuals respond to this unprecedented set of challenges in amazing and inspiring ways,” he said.

With graduates entering both a turbulent and exciting world, Swan warned against being daunted by roadblocks. Instead, he encouraged them to see adversity as an opportunity. He also shared the advice he said he wished someone had given him upon graduation:

• A positive spirit is contagious: “Every interaction you have is an opportunity to make a positive impact on a person, a team, a company, an industry and maybe even the world.”
• Teamwork and the diversity of teams yield better outcomes: “A diverse team and environment where everyone can contribute to their fullest abilities is powerful. Great team players illuminate the greatness in others.”
• Practice intellectual curiosity: “Learning is a continuous process, and intellectual curiosity will accelerate both your knowledge accumulation and your contributions.”
• Leave it all on the field: “In the course of your career, you want to be able to say you did everything possible in the quest to be great at whatever it is you were doing.”
• Family matters: “The joy I have experienced [with my family] dwarfs anything I have achieved in my professional career.”

“Each of you, in your own way, can and will make the world a better place,” Swan said. “I hope that, like me, you will be shocked and amazed by your ability to have a positive impact on the world.”

Student speaker David Hatami, a double major in business administration and political science, highlighted the difficult times his class, and the broader world, endured over the past couple of years, and shared how he has been able to work through it.

“Have you ever had someone look at you, smile, and say, ‘It’s the little things that matter’?” asked Hatami, who also served as president of the Student Association.

Hatami then explained what he meant by “the little things” — the memories of events that at first seem insignificant, but then mean a lot more as time goes by. His examples included meeting a best friend at Orientation, and having a conversation about life with a professor he looked up to.

“It’s how you’ll remember your college experience, and it’s what’ll matter most to you when you’ve finally made it in life. You’ll always have the little things, and they’ll always have you,” he said.

Hatami urged his fellow graduates not to dwell on the things they can’t control, but to instead focus on the little things.

“At the end of the day, you won’t be remembered for the job titles you held, or the income bracket you reached or the number of grueling years worked,” he said. “People will remember the acts of kindness you put out into the world, and the way that you make them feel when you’re around them.”

“Trust me, it’s all about the little things. You may forget about them now and then, but if you remember and look hard enough, they’ll be right there waiting for you once again.”