During Kent State University President Todd Diacon's Fall 2023 Commencement speech, he told the graduates that leaving Kent State and moving on to their careers is a momentous transition that they must approach with flexibility, patience and gentleness for those who do not share the same skills as they do.
The graduates must also demonstrate their value and the diverse ways in which they approach their jobs, despite people rejecting their suggestions.
"Keep demonstrating your value and the existence of other ways of doing things and eventually you will make headway," Diacon said.
After telling the graduates the story of a transition that was a revolution – how a Kent State professor was in the United German Army when the Berlin Wall fell, he said to the Class of 2023: "Yours is a beautiful transition, one fueled by hard work, one fueled by grit and one fueled by your creativity. Celebrate this day."