Cambridge Commencement Ceremonies Begin

Secretary Duncan to Speak at Lesley

This past Saturday Cambridge Area Colleges kicked off the 2010 commencement season starting with the Longy School of Music.  Their ceremony took place on Saturday where famous choreographer Mark Morris spoke and received a lifetime achievement award.

Though it is true that just because a speaker is well known or “hot”  doesn’t necessarily make for a good graduation speaker we all know that it seems to elevate the importance of the college or university involved.  In Cambridge, Massachusetts we are lucky to have 2 of the most well-known higher education institutions in the world with Harvard and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).  Their graduation ceremonies take place later this month and early June.

Lesley University’s ceremony is taking place tomorrow May 19th and is even more special since it is celebrating it’s 100th anniversary.

“For 100 years, Lesley University has been grounded in education as the foundation of a civil society, and in the preparation of men and women for careers that help shape strong communities,” said Lesley University President Joseph B. Moore. “We are honored to welcome Secretary Duncan, particularly at a time when the goal of a quality education for all students is at the forefront of the national discussion.”

There is no arguing with that.  Education continues to get more and more important in a global economy.

If you look at the list of speakers for our Cambridge area colleges they represent a pretty impressive list.

• Arne Duncan Secretary of Education – Lesley University
• Mark Morris World Renowned Choreographer – Longy School of Music
• Retired Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter – Harvard
• Christiane Amanpour Well Known Correspondent – Harvard (Class Day)
• Raymond S. Stata Chairman and Cofounder of Analog Devices – MIT

Harvard’s commencement ceremonies are on Thursday May 27th and MIT’s take place on Friday June 4th 2010.  They tend to be the last graduation ceremonies in the metro Boston area.

People who have had successful careers seem to have one thing in common.  They find and develop a passion that make work seem like it is no longer work.  Here is a video of Mark Morris on how his passion for music developed into his career in choreography and the role that it plays in what he does.  With all of the speakers on the above list you can see a similar “passion” for their work.