The Themes of Savannah Guthrie's Commencement Speech at George Washington University

Savannah Guthrie, 2014 photo

The Today Show’s Savannah Guthrie gave the commencement speech yesterday at George Washington University in Washington DC. Let’s chat about her speech, and commencement speeches in general.

What Guthrie did was to tell the students about some of her own life experiences and decisions as she graduated from school some years previously. Her key story was this: after beginning a career in broadcast journalism, she decided to go to law school and become a lawyer. She received a JD degree from Georgetown University in Washington and secured a placement at a major law firm and a clerkship with a federal judge. These are extremely auspicious beginnings for a young lawyer. Much to everyone’s surprise, including the judge’s, she turned down everything to resume her career in broadcast journalism. She got a job at a small station, which closed ten days after she started work, and then advanced onto a larger market. She explained that her setbacks helped her learn, made her stronger, and helped her succeed.

Her point was that each decision was a stepping stone to the next. The skills that she learned in a few days at the small station served her well when she advanced to a better job. This led to her conclusion: “But here’s the thing I want to tell you: the challenges you come across, the cliffs you climb, the weight you’re carrying — this is what is making something of you that is worthy and strong.”

Continuing, Guthrie talked about the people who got to the top of Mount Everest, only to find that they were too exhausted to climb down safely. This led to another point: “Could you imagine? They reached their goal only to die on the way down.” She wanted the students to remember that we sometimes get so goal-oriented that we forget to enjoy life’s journey:

“I think there is something to learn here. As much as you might desire a certain kind of success or accomplishment, don’t get summit fever. Don’t be so intent on reaching the top that you kill yourself to get there, or hurt others doing so. And even more, don’t be so focused on some summit that you miss the beautiful views on the way up. This is a metaphor for life. Stop and rest. Look around. Talk to the people traveling with you. Who cares if you make it to the top? The ‘getting there’ is the point anyway. Your climb, your path — that is your real life. The effort, the things you learn, the skills you acquire on the way, and most importantly, the people you keep company with — that is the whole point.”

Guthrie made a spot-on point that we can become so focused on goals that we can lose track of what we really want. All my own students as freshman were ready to answer the questions “what you plan to major in and what you plan to do with your degree once you graduate?” Very few of them ended up completing the major they planned on and entering the career they intended. Some of them lacked confidence to pursue their dreams, but many others discovered something they liked better. That was my case: for most of my youth, I planned to attend law school. I was admitted to an excellent law school and instead studied speech communication in graduate school. It worked out well for me and I think I enjoyed my career much more than if I had followed my original path.

Guthrie gave, all in all, an excellent but typical commencement speech. She illustrated her points with her own life experiences, Her speech got extra attention in the press because she was a famous journalist. It never hurts to have friends in television! She delivered her speech well, which one would expect that she was used to speaking on television. Her voice was energetic; she emphasized points by being louder and softer, faster and slower. She gestured with her hands, smiled, and maintained eye contact.  She interacted with the audience, which many commencement speakers don’t do. Good for her.

Ceremonies are important. I’ve heard some very good commencement speeches over the years and some awful ones. (My own college commencement speaker, Chief Justice Warren Burger, read a thoroughly second-rate presentation about social contract theory.) A commencement speaker has a chance to reach out to the graduates and say something important. The graduation ceremony and graduation speech help people realize that graduation is something important. Students often rush to the ceremony in near-panic after finishing their last exams and turning in their last paper (usually late!). They can hardly believe that it's over, while the professors who only yesterday were running them through a grindmill are suddenly proud to have known them. Families are not only excited, but relieved that the students graduated.

P.S. I visited George Washington University when I was in high school. It’s an impressive urban university. Congratulations to the students.

P.S. If you read some of my other blog posts about commencement speeches, you can see that some of the speakers took up controversial national issues. Guthrie did not, instead focusing squarely on the graduates themselves. Which is the better way? What do you think? 

Image: US Navy photo by Naval Aircrewman Mechanical 3rd Class Michelle Marzec, cropped. Original here.