CSC commencement speakers share career and life advice with graduates

Butler said the unprecedented environment of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely add to making the event memorable.

“Other graduates in the past faced great concerns, too: polio outbreaks, world war, financial collapse, global flu, cold war and Middle East crisis and conflicts. In spite of those external events, or perhaps heightened by them, those graduates will always remember their graduation day. As will you. It is an important milestone on your life’s journey,” Butler

said.

In fourth grade, Butler experienced what he now recognizes as an important milestone.

“I checked out a book on the discovery of insulin during our once-a-month school trip with our teacher to the town’s library. After reading and re-reading every page, I decided, then and there, to become a scientist,” Butler said.

His foundation of learning and dedication as a student continued at CSC.

“I received excellent guidance about a career in research and biology with mentoring from my CSC biology professors. During my time at CSC, I participated as a teaching and research assistant in biology and laboratory research. I was able to present findings on the classification and genetics of native plants from the Pine Ridge at scientific meetings and publish in scientific journals – opportunities that most undergraduate students would not have had at other colleges or universities,” Butler said.

Butler advised the graduates to choose their life’s work wisely.

“Choose something you love and, as the saying goes, you’ll never work a day in your life. That doesn’t mean you won’t have failures requiring corrections or adjustments to meet your goals. But, if you strive for success, you will face those challenges with an attitude to succeed. You won’t mind long hours and hard work,” Butler said. “Don’t let tunnel vision take the joy out of your journey. Let art, music, reading, and interpersonal relationships keep your mind fresh, and your personality bright.”

Koza, a retiring CSC Business Professor, related seven “Bs” of advice.

“Be a continuous learner. Learning should never stop. One of my early memories is being in Boy Scouts. Our motto was ‘Be Prepared.’ That is a very powerful statement. Are you ready to perform any task in any situation? Being prepared sets the stage for your day and your life,” Koza said. 

His next suggestion dealt with punctuality and he went on to emphasize the importance of communicating well.

 “When a person comes to you with a problem or concern, don’t interrupt or be too eager to speak first. Make eye contact, listen so you can understand their problem,” Koza said.

He told the graduates they can learn from many different, and sometimes unexpected, sources.

“Something I learned from watching my children raise their kids was when they were trying to get their attention. They told their kids, ‘tell my eyes.’ By making eye contact, you get the person’s attention. This makes it easier for them to listen and understand you. Making good eye contact with students in my class was even more important during COVID-19 because of the masks, all I could see were my student’s eyes,” Koza said.

Another “B” in Koza’s list of pointers is: “Be a risk taker.”

“Babe Ruth held the record for 40 years with the most home runs hit in a career. That is a long time. He was also known as the King of Strikeouts and he led the American League five times with 1,330 strikeouts in his career. The Babe wasn’t worried though. He said, ‘Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.’ Never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming to bat,” Koza said.

—Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator