This is an exciting time for college graduates.
Earlier this month, former Walmart International CEO Kathryn McLay offered words of wisdom to more than 1,000 High Point University undergraduate students before they crossed the stage in their caps and gowns during two HPU Commencement ceremonies. She delivered her inspirational message to the Class of 2026 the day after she experienced a big change in her own life — her last day as Walmart International’s CEO was on May 1.
In case you missed McLay’s powerful message to the graduating class about embracing new beginnings and staying hopeful, here are 10 takeaways from her Commencement speech on May 2.
Focus on What You Can Control
“I’ve worked in a city of millions in Australia and a town of thousands in Arkansas. I’ve been an auditor, a supply chain expert, a strategist and the president and CEO of two massive businesses at a Fortune 1 company. I’ve even worked as a butcher’s assistant. It has been an amazing ride, far better than the little plans that I had. I could not have strategized my way into the life that I have lived. All I could control was effort and attitude.”
Learn from Your Failures and Your Successes
“When I was a CEO taking questions at an event, it seemed like I was always asked to list my biggest failures. Honestly, I had a hard time coming up with them, not because I didn’t have plenty but because I don’t really think of failure as failure. It is a way to learn as much a part of life as breathing. But I also think success is underrated. I learned a lot from success. We always came to find out what went wrong, but I say deconstruct what went right. A lot of times you’ll stumble on a move that propelled something forward and made it even better than you anticipated.”
Lead With Laughter
“Laugh boldly and from your belly, especially in the office, especially with your coworkers. Laughter is a great equalizer and a reminder that life is fleeting. At some point, you will all probably be in a position of leadership. Lean in on laughter. Not enough leaders realize how many eyes are on them all the time and how much they set the tone, even subconsciously, by their attitude and their actions. A leader’s ego is a tax on their team. May your ego be a light burden and your laughter a tonic.”
There is Beauty in the Unexpected
“Let’s do a short group exercise. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine where you want to be in 30 years — professionally, personally, geographically, spiritually. I bet each of you has a strong vision or at least a shape of what that looks like. Now open your eyes, and I’ll reveal exactly where you will be. Ready for the answer? Nowhere near where you imagined. That’s life, and that’s a good thing. I’m here to tell you there’s a lot to like in the unexpected.”
Small Decisions Add Up
“It’s the little decisions that build character. In 2002, a woman named Cynthia Cooper uncovered a huge financial scandal at a company called WorldCom. It was an $11 billion accounting fraud, and it was the biggest in corporate U.S. history. I was privileged to meet and host Cynthia, and I remember her talking to me about how small decisions added up and escalated. The people involved in that fraud knew better, but they chose to ignore the little improprieties. The slippery slope of not acting ended up making them complicit and responsible, so remember there are no small decisions.”
Give Yourself and Other Grace
“Don’t lose sight of who you are in the grand scheme of things. We are all in this together. We are all ordinary human beings with gifts and challenges, all trying to get along in this world. Give yourself grace and give others grace, and delight in those times when you get to wake up in the morning and think, ‘Wow, I get to do this incredible thing, and I am just me.’”
Find Your Own Value
“A job is effectively a contract between you and your employer to do certain tasks and to be paid a certain amount. That is it, nothing more. You’re not guaranteed favor or fairness, but from that contract comes enormous opportunity to create satisfaction and joy. I found my joy by helping others around me, and it was my first step towards understanding what leadership for me might feel like.”
Hope is the “Warrior Emotion”
“That’s how I felt yesterday when I closed out 11 years with Walmart, that I got to do this incredible thing and it was just me. But as my departure date drew near, I remember being asked one question a lot and that was ‘How are you feeling?’ And I understand why people are asking me this question. Change is hard. Change after 11 years in one place is really hard. So how was I feeling? How am I feeling now? Well, I’m feeling a lot of hope. … Hope is not a neutral position. It is adversarial. Hope is the warrior emotion that can lay waste to cynicism.”
Believe in This Imperfect World
“You can’t have new beginnings without endings, and all endings are a little difficult. You are here today, eager for what’s next but possibly a little melancholy about what you’re leaving behind because graduation is an ending to a big one. I think I’ve established that I can’t tell you exactly what to expect after you leave here today with hands on diplomas and eyes on the future, but I can confirm this. This imperfect world is worth believing in. It’s worth all the pain and glory and even the public speaking.”
Face Uncertainty Head-On
“What’s easy, what’s lazy and reactive is to face uncertainty with worry or cynicism. That doesn’t take any work at all. Hope requires action. It demands effort and beliefs. These are the things that take work. These are the things that require you to step outside of yourself and put trust in family and friends, neighbors and coworkers, and in God.”
On April 30, two days before McLay’s speech, Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco Systems, one of the world’s leading networking and information technology companies, addressed 300 students at HPU’s Graduate Commencement Ceremony. He encouraged new graduates to embrace artificial intelligence while continuing to show empathy, compassion and good judgment.
The two industry leaders join an extraordinary lineup of HPU Commencement speakers, including:
- Apple Co-Founder and HPU Innovator in Residence Steve Wozniak
- Former Dallas Mavericks CEO and HPU Sports Executive in Residence Cynt Marshall
- Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw
- Former First Lady Laura Bush
- Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan
- Former U.S. Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell
- Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
- NASA Astronaut Buzz Aldrin