Gov. Terry McAuliffe tells VCU graduates to ‘follow your passion’

During May commencement ceremonies today, Gov. Terry McAuliffe told Virginia Commonwealth University’s newest graduates to follow their passion.

McAuliffe was sworn in as the 72nd Governor of Virginia in 2014 and has focused on issues related to economic growth, transportation and government ethics.

“Always think big. Always take chances. Never be afraid to fail,” McAuliffe said. “If you follow these three pieces of advice, you will do great.”

Students received professional, graduate and undergraduate degrees at the ceremony at the Richmond Coliseum. In all, VCU awarded more than 5,000 degrees.

VCU President Michael Rao, Ph.D., told graduates they represent the future of Virginia and the world.

“What you discover in our classrooms, laboratories, clinics, studios and in our community are not the ends to get you here today, but the beginnings of the ways in which you will someday conquer humanity’s biggest problems and needs,” Rao said. “You are graduating from not just any university, but from one of the world’s premier research universities that’s committed to discovery, creativity and advancing the human experience everywhere.”

McAuliffe was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, VCU’s highest form of recognition, which acknowledges outstanding contributions to society through scholarship, humanitarianism, science, art and public service.

The Presidential Medallion, established in 1984 by the Board of Visitors to honor outstanding contributions by members of the university community, was awarded posthumously to Thomas Huff, Ph.D.

As provost for life sciences and research, Huff led VCU’s march into the age of genomic research. Huff was named vice provost in 2001 and charged with putting VCU at the forefront of U.S. universities preparing students in the new fields of the biological sciences that were opened by research to sequence the human genome. Life Sciences at VCU includes the Rice Rivers Center, the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity and the Center for Environmental Studies. May Ligon Huff accepted the award on her husband’s behalf.