Community / December 21, 2015

Congrats to New Grads! Commencement Highlights

On Dec. 20, 2015, 700 students graduated from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. The commencement ceremony was held at the Xfinity Center, University of Maryland’s College Park campus.

“The occasion of your commencement is a time to celebrate journeys, to celebrate beginnings and endings, and all the amazing things that happened in between,” said Alex Triantis, dean of the Smith School, in his opening remarks. “Today, we will look back on your journey and look forward to your future.”

The national anthem was performed by graduating senior Sung Shin. The following students made remarks: Katarina Belinicher, undergraduate; Neha Pathak, specialty masters; and Robert Hallback, MBA.

The commencement address was given by William M. Greenblatt ’79, founder and chairman of SterlingBackcheck. Greenblatt is widely considered to be one of the pioneers of the background screening industry. As the founder and chairman of SterlingBackcheck, one of the world’s largest screening companies, he has fundamentally transformed the way companies, both large and small, hire and retain the best talent for their organizations.

Greenblatt began with a heartwarming story about his grandmother and the tremendous impact she had on his life, instilling a value system of working hard and helping others. “I want to talk to you about money and the impact my grandmother had on me and how it helped me achieve much of what I've accomplished in my career.”

Greeblatt outlined four tenets of money: (1) earning it, (2) saving it, (3) negotiating, navigating and investing it, and (4) disposing of it. “Whether you like it or not, money matters,” he said.

“As Smith School graduates, you've been trained to do your best. You need to be prepared for the rest of your life, and the planning starts now,” he said. “Plan your work, and work your plan. Know now what your life's goal is. It probably won't be the same 20-30-40 years from now, but know what your life's goal is tomorrow.”

Greenblatt encouraged graduates to be lifelong learners and to never stop reading. “You're graduating from one of the best institutions in the world, but the reality is you don't know much,” he said. “Keep learning. A year from now you'll be a lot smarter than you are today. Ten years from now, you will be a lot smarter than you are a year from now, I promise you that.”

He stressed the importance of planning, having a budget, saving money, and not buying things on impulse.

Once you become successful, then comes the fun, said Greenblatt. “There has to be philanthropy in all of us. The success and the discipline that I hope you achieve after graduating from this fine institution will cause you to become successful. With success comes an obligation to help. The more successful you get, the larger the burden.”

The entire Smith School commencement ceremony is available online. Watch now.

The campus-wide ceremony took place on Dec. 19. The commencement address was delivered by UMD alumnus Florent Groberg, retired U.S. Army Captain and Medal of Honor recipient. Watch now.

- Alissa Arford, Office of Marketing Communications 

 

Media Contact

Greg Muraski
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gmuraski@umd.edu 

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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