Hoda to grads: Your job is waiting for you
Posted: Monday, May 12, 2008 4:33 PM by Jen BrownAnchor Talk
Over the weekend, Hoda had the honor of delivering the commencement address at her alma mater, Virginia Tech. Here's the text of her speech: Hello, graduates!
I asked my friends one question before I came here, and that question was, "Who spoke at your college graduation?" Do you know not one person could remember? No one could remember who stood at a podium like this one and spoke at graduation. They couldn’t remember the speaker, but they all remember the message. It was always the same. It was always poignant, always memorable and it went like this...
"Wa wa ..wa wa...wa wa” (a-la Charlie Brown’s teacher)
Class of 2008, I am going to remember you and I want you to remember me.
I am Hoda Kotb -- and I am a HOKIE!
I am a TODAY Show co-host -- and I am a HOKIE!
I am a breast cancer survivor -- AND I AM A HOKIE!
I am addicted to my iPod -- and I am A HOKIE
People ask me all of the time, "How are the kids from Virginia Tech doing?" And then they give me "the look." You know the look -- the one that says, “Awwww,” the look of pity. I always answer the same way, “Have you ever MET anyone from Virginia Tech???? We are not-curl-up-under-the-covers, suck-our- thumbs kind of people. We are people who RISE UP.”
There is a saying: "If you fall, fall on your back. Because if you fall on your back you can see up. And if you can see up you can get up. And you can keep going and going and going.”
People say a lot of things.
They said it would be tough to recover after such a tragedy. It would be tough to heal, tough to rise up.
But you did.
They said new students would not come to Virginia Tech. They would be too afraid. They would not set foot on this campus.
But they did.
They said it would be tough to separate the tragedy from the tradition, that you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the Virginia Tech experience like Top of the Stairs, the ACC championship game, the girls softball team beating the U.S. Olympic team …
But you did, and it felt good.
Ok, so now it is time to look forward, time to look ahead.
How many of you have jobs?
(kids screaming0
Ok, I see where the engineers are sitting. Some of the rest of you may be travelling. Who is going back home to live with mom and dad????
(roar)
Parents, you must be so proud.
OK, this part of the speech is for those of you WITHOUT a job. DO NOT PANIC. Your job is out there waiting for you. You just have to go get it.
Here's how I got my first one.
I graduated from Tech, had my college degree in one han, my resume tape in the other, and ONE job interview set up. I had on a brand new green suit, borrowed my mom's car. I told her, “Mom, I am going to drive from our house in Alexandria, Va. to this T.V. station in Richmond. I am going to get hired, then I am going to bring the car back, pack and move to Richmond.
She said, “Of course you will.”
So I drove to Richmond, met the news director, looked around the newsroom and thought, “Hmmmmm. I will sit THERE, and I will date HIM.” Seemed promising. The news director put my tape in the machine, played it for about 30 seconds. popped it out and said, “Hoda, I am sorry but you are not ready for Richmond.” Hmmmmmm. I asked him if there was any tips he could give me, advice. He said, “No, you are just not very good right now. Good luck and buh-bye.”
As I was leaving, he said, “Hoda, wait a minute. I have a friend, a news director in Roanoke. He is hiring, but he is leaving tonight. If you catch him I am sure he will hire you.”
I said tell him I am coming
So I called my mom about the car and said, “Mom, I did not want Richmond. I want ROANOKE." So I started driving south, got to the newsroom, looked around and thought, “This is ok. I will sit THERE. And I will date HIM.”
The news director put my tape in, played it for 30 seconds, popped it out and said, “I am sorry, but you are not ready for Roanoke.
I couldn’t believe it.
He said good luck to you and buh-bye. As I was leaving, he said, "Hold on. I have a friend of mine who is hiring. He is in Memphis, Tenn.”
Now Tennessee is the long, skinny state, and Memphis is at the other end. And I said tell him I AM COMING.
I drove across the great state of Tennessee, met the news director. He put my tape in the machine and promptly said, "Hoda, I am sorry but you are not ready for Memphis.”
I almost died.. Oh yeah, and then he said "buh-bye."
As i was leaving he said, “Wait a minute. I know someone who will hire you.”
Graduates, I was in the car for 10 days. I got 27 rejections. Twenty-seven news directors told me no. I got rejected throughout the entire Southeast. Does anyone know where Dothan, Ala. is? I got rejected there. I made my way to the panhandle of Florida. There was nowhere else to go.
I decided it was time to drive home. I was sad, listening to James Taylor on the radio, and then I got lost.
I got lost in Mississippi.
You know how they say God gives you a sign? Well, he gave me a sign alright. It was a real sign. It said, "Greenville, our eye is on your CBS," or something like that.
I went to the TV station, and that man HIRED ME.
So I am telling you your job is out there waiting for you, you just have to go and get it.
I told you I am a breast cancer survivor. If you survive a tragedy, you get some unexpected gifts. You get some gifts, you have to look for them. Breast cancer taught me two things. Number one: my life has margins and is to be valued and not wasted. So I say not one more minute. I will not waste one more minute. So I held onto the things I love, and got rid of the things I didn’t.
Number two: If you survive a tragedy you get four words. You get YOU CAN’T SCARE ME. Nothing will be worse than what you faced. So let’s say the tax man is on the phone. Ok, let’s say your boyfriend breaks up with you via text message. Ok, you can handle it.
Ok, I have a little surprise for you. I told you I am addicted to my iPod, and I have it right here...a little song i think you will enjoy..
(I put the earbuds on the mic, and blast “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. The kids went completely nuts)
I want to close by saying they said it would be tough to recover after such a tragedy, tough to rise up. But you did.
They say it will be tough to change the world.
But you will...
