Casey McMullin

Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Dean Pirkul and all the Jindal faculty who are here today to celebrate our graduation.

My name is Casey McMullin, a graduate student, now with a master’s in international management studies. I would first like to thank all my family, specifically my parents, my brother who is currently serving in the United States Marine Corps, and my wonderful fiancée. On behalf of all the graduating students, I also would like to thank the faculty, our mentors and our dear friends. Without all of you, none of us would be standing here today.

It is fair to say that the last two years have been nothing short of unpredictable, chaotic and life-changing, and I am sure that is the case for all of us today.

We’ve seen the world completely turn on its head: politics, viruses, bitcoin. Despite the many challenges and unforeseen circumstances, I am thankful, and I know all of us are thankful. It is easy for us as students and future leaders to get caught up in the stress of planning and always looking toward what is next. At the end of the day, however, we must ask ourselves what truly matters. I would argue that at this very moment, the pandemic, political tension or even our GPAs do not matter as much as we think they do. Because regardless of the world’s circumstances or the cards life has dealt you, we are all sitting here, in the same room, for the same reason. We have been brought together to this very moment in time to reflect and to celebrate our tremendous accomplishment of acquiring our degrees. Something that you can be proud of forever.

The majority of my experience in graduate school was unfortunately spent in and out of the hospital. Extensive internal bleeding and many complications could have very well killed me on multiple occasions if it weren’t for modern medicine and God’s good grace.

It was in the hospital one night that I had a wake-up call. I had just resigned from my job in investments due to health, and at my worst possible moment, I came to the sudden realization that no amount of money in the world could save me. All the extra time spent at work or planning the next 10 years wouldn’t be able to save me.

I had always thought money and prestige are required pursuits in life. But that night, I finally asked myself, what was I living for? I promised that if the treatment ever worked and if I could live a normal life again, it wouldn’t be for the money. It wouldn’t be for me, and it wouldn’t be to impress anyone.

Shortly after that, I received an email from my program director Hubert Zydorek and his team to submit an application to the United Nations. I always had a passion for poverty alleviation, and to me, sustainable development seemed like the perfect fit.

Several months went by and I finally heard back. They wanted to interview me online the following day. Of course, I was ecstatic and had all sorts of thoughts running through my head. However, there was one catch. I was still in the hospital. So I called my dad, asked him to bring my suit and tie, and I asked the nurses if they could unhook the many IVs that I had for even just 20 minutes so that I could sit in the corner by a table and have an interview just like a normal person.

Afterward, I didn’t care whether I got the internship or whether I would ever hear back. I felt as though I had just conquered the world. It was the first time I was ever grateful for an interview, let alone a circumstance, regardless of the outcome. I learned to celebrate even the smallest of moments, for truly, you’re never promised tomorrow.

Long story short, I completed my internship with the United Nations this year, helped develop and recommend policies on pandemic and economic recovery, and even gained lifelong friends halfway across the world, thanks to modern technology.

It doesn’t matter what our GPAs are, where we were raised or what tomorrow brings. There is so much to be thankful for today, for that is what truly matters.

Life is one of the greatest gifts imaginable. Live each moment as if it were your last, and you just might be surprised how beautiful life can be, and how much good you can do for others.

And perhaps most important of all, you too can interview with a suit jacket, a tie, and in your underwear, and get the job done.

Thank you.

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Casey McMullin is graduating with recognition with a master’s in international management studies. He previously earned a bachelor’s in business administration from Abilene Christian University. On campus, he was a fellow in the Colloquium for the Advancement of Free-Enterprise Education and served as president of the International Management Student Council. Professionally, he has worked for investment firms, nonprofits and the United Nations. After graduation, he plans to continue his pursuit of economic development and poverty alleviation. His overall goal is to leave the world a better place than he found it.