Education
Superintendent Dan Brenner’s 2017 Graduation Speech: Be Passionate and Curious
|
Here’s Superintendent Dan Brenner’s speech, as delivered, at Darien High School’s 2017 graduation ceremony:
Members of the Board of Education, parents, friends and relatives, and most importantly the Darien High School Class of 2017, I am truly honored to be able to congratulate you on this momentous day. Early in my career I had the good fortune to watch a group of students share their English essays all titled, “This I believe.” In their honor, I thought I would borrow their writing prompt and begin my talk by saying:
I believe …
Passion and Curiosity
When people are interviewed for a job there are several character traits that are essential for employers to evaluate. Possibly the most important are embodied in the following question:
“Is the person passionate and curious about what they do?”
Let me explain what I think that implies. I would suggest it means we are looking for a person who approaches all situations with enthusiasm, regardless of the task, and that they possess an inquisitive mind that prompts them to question. It means if they are a doctor or a lawyer, they have a keen sense of commitment to provide each and every patient or client the best service possible, and they are forever seeking new ways to do so.
