Today marks a huge milestone in your lives. As I look around the room, I am reminded of myself, twenty years back, when I pursued my studies and was graduating from this specific university with my Master’s degree. Fun fact, I graduated on the 50th anniversary of Haigazian and it is a great honor that I am able to return as a keynote speaker and celebrate the university’s 70th anniversary with you all.
Tonight is a great achievement for all of you. You must be so proud of yourselves. This milestone is a culmination of years of hard work, determination, failures, and growth.
While I was thinking about what to address you today, I decided to do quick research and came across some interesting numbers and figures that I would like to share with you all. In 2022, 10.7 million students graduated from higher education institutions in India. In 2023, China had 10.4 million graduates with their bachelor’s degree from public colleges and universities. In 2024, the USA had 2 million graduates. Could you imagine? Look around, how many are you in this room? What do you think would make you stand out and is your added value? What would your impact on your community?
Some might say your level of education. Some might say the experience and knowledge you cultivated during your time here at Haigazian. Some others might say the qualifications that you acquired. And to all that I say, yes that is great! But not enough. Sure, being highly educated, especially in this day-and-age, is crucial, however, with millions of others around the world, what makes you unique is your character. I will go the extra mile and say your character is just as important as your qualifications. They go hand-in-hand.
3 John 1:4-5 says, while addressing his apprentice Gaius, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for your brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.”
Indeed, the duality of “truth” and “faithfulness” that John spoke about, lies at the core of my message to you, young men and women of this graduating class. To fully elaborate on their dimensions would require pages upon pages.
So come with me, as we reflect a little on what matters more than the certificates you will hold shortly and more than all the degrees and honors that you might receive before you begin your journey into life.
Let us consider these two values that I hope you will carry with you: truth and faithfulness. These values do not fade with time, nor do they wear out from frequent use. They can only mature if you properly nurture them. What was true in the past remains true today. Neither the concept of truth has changed, nor has the principle of faithfulness altered.
However, what has changed is the way these values are misunderstood, misapplied, and disregarded in many parts of our modern society; societies that have become entangled in a scarcity of truth and a rarity of faithfulness, as if people believe that these two values have expired long ago. They are undoubtedly mistaken.
Eleanor Powell once said, “What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.” Take a moment and think of your gift to God in your future. What can you make of the characteristics He gave you?
Dear students!
Truth is not merely a word, but a stance and a scale by which we measure our actions. We must stand on the side of truth, seek it, and cling to it even when it goes against our desires and conflicts with our interests. Truth brings justice among people and preserves the dignity of individuals. It gives your knowledge a noble and unwavering purpose that does not deviate or stray. Truth should also always be accompanied with mercy and kindness. What we say matters, but how we say it matters even more.
Similarly, faithfulness extends far beyond the preservation of money, promises, or inheritance. It is broader than that. Faithfulness in knowledge means not misleading others with what we know. Faithfulness in work and profession means carrying out your duties without betrayal. And faithfulness in words means avoiding lies.
My dear ones,
Your true wealth and value are not measured by the certificates that millions around the world can attain. What will truly set you apart in the crowd is the strength of the core values you stand for. These values will define who you are: ambassadors of the greatest virtues—kindness, truth, mercy, and faithfulness—that sadly, many have forgotten in today’s world.
Beloved students,
It truly is important to have in the country five hundred scholars, five hundred doctors, and five hundred engineers, along with thousands of individuals who are successful in their universities and careers.
But what matters most is that these individuals carry, alongside their degrees and specializations, a living testimony of truth and faithfulness that is evident in their behaviors and actions.
And here lies the role of those responsible for education at home, in school, and at the university, as they have the role of instilling virtues that become a given and a default in their students’ identities which would then be reflected in their work and life in the future.
Today, I am very thankful and grateful for a university like Haigazian that embedded in you such values and helped give you the proper qualifications while building the right character that is crowned with faithfulness and truth. But then here lies the question: what will we do with these characteristics?
When we step back and look at our country, we see that Lebanese people are generally well-educated, resilient, and highly qualified. So why, then, did Lebanon struggle as a state and only recently began to rebuild? The answer lies in the fact that while Lebanese people have shown resilience, they have often kept it individualistic rather than channeling it into the community. What benefit would it bring to have a good character but keep it to ourselves? It is your responsibility to transfer these characteristics, channel this resilience, and display your faithfulness and truth to your communities.
Dear students,
Let us leave this high value university, not only with certificates to hang on the walls of our rooms, but with faithful hearts and souls that vow never to betray or neglect the truth. Let us aim to build a character that would leave a great impact and make a difference in the world.
And from you, while you keep in mind what John said, I ask for a solemn promise: carry the legacy of this university with you and become unwavering ambassadors of honesty and integrity, wherever life’s journey may lead you.
Thank you, and a thousand congratulations!