Lynchburg College chose one of its own to deliver Saturday"scommencement address when John Reilly, "86, explained how henavigated a tough economy to launch his career in marketing. "I can attest that it"s truly a life-changingcollege," Reilly said. "And I was what we used to callin the 1980s a ‘handful."" Reilly delivered poignant remarks to 626 students and theirfamilies, who spread across the grassy lawn of The Dell during thetwo-and-a-half hour ceremony. Reilly urged students to face theweak economy and hyper-competitive job market by becoming standoutemployees. "Say what you will do and then do it," he said,"and then do some more." Under sunny skies, a total of 495 undergraduates and 131 graduatestudents walked away with diplomas. The ceremony took place infront of the stately Hopwood Hall, the oldest classroom building oncampus. Lynchburg College"s wind symphony played round after round of"Pomp and Circumstance" during the openingprocessional. As the student streamed to their seats, the musicmingled with cheers and the occasional air horn. After a round of greetings from the alumni associate and board oftrustees, senior class president Alexandra Tomko delivered remarksto her classmates. Tomko highlighted the ways LC has pushed her outof her comfort zone, both academically and socially. "I can guarantee that Lynchburg College has changed my lifefor the better," she said. The seniors also presented their class gift, a $2,012 cash donationtowards diversity, service and leadership programs. As keynote speaker, Reilly connected with the students throughhumor and personal stories. He joked that the memory of his own graduation 26 years ago was abit fuzzy because back then, "it was not uncommon forstudents to start celebrating graduating before wegraduated." During his diverse career, Reilly worked on marketing campaigns formajor musical acts like Fall Out Boy and Rhianna. He also ledpartnership marketing, promotion and public relations for CircuitCity Stores, and currently works for Studio Squared in Richmond. Reilly used marketing metaphors to encourage the graduates to"define your brand." He also urged students to "check [their] entitlements at thedoor," and to make the most of entry-level jobs andcurveballs in their careers. Reilly said that when he learned toapproach his job as if he actually owned the business, hisproductivity and success skyrocketed. Lastly, Reilly told students to exceed expectations and topersevere through challenges in their personal and professionallives. "What you can control is who you are and what your personalbrand represents," he said. After Reilly"s remarks, the students crossed the stage one byone to receive their diplomas. When the last student graced thestage, the audience broke out into a hearty applause. Lynchburg College President Ken Garren wrapped up the ceremony bypraising the members of the class of 2012 for their accomplishmentsin community service, academics and sports. "Remember that wherever you go, your Lynchburg Collegediploma goes with you," Garren said. "Continue to makeus proud. And always be proud that you"re a Hornet.". The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Medical Grade Tube , China Medical Disposable Products, and more. For more , please visit Medical Grade Tube today!
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