Ryan Lipscomb Graduates from Howard University, Delivers Surprise Dinner Speech
On May 12, 2007, Ryan Lipscomb graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. Ryan surprised his parents and grandmother, Wilhelmina, as he rose to the podium to deliver a magnificent speech.
His parents are Ruth and Kenneth Lipscomb of Atlanta, GA. He is the grandson of Nelda and the late B.B. Lipscomb and Rev. W.E. and Wilhelmina Green of Dallas, TX. His grandfather, Rev. W.E. Green, is a retired minister in the CME Church. Grandmother Wilhelmina Green is a member of Porter Temple CME Church, Dallas, TX. Rev. Freddie Moore, pastor.
Good evening. For those of you who do not know me, I will say this one last time, but with a slight alteration. Hello, my name is Ryan Lipscomb, from Atlanta, GA, and I am a Howard University graduate with a degree in marketing. Four years ago, I sat right here in this room as a high school senior making my first visit during the School of Business’ Parent’s Weekend. I hadn’t yet made my college decision and I had been accepted at a number of schools, but I was looking for something special. I was looking for a school that felt like home. I was looking for a school that would give me my "Different World" experience. I had come from a predominantly white high school in a predominantly white suburb on the northside of Atlanta and I had never seen a huge mass of young people of color all trying to do great things with their lives. So I sat here in this banquet hall, and I remember Dean Paschal sat next to me and we spoke briefly, about what I don’t remember, but I do remember that I decided right then and there that I was going to make sure I took his class if I ever came here. Then I watched as all of these students in suits went up on stage and accepted awards because of their high GPAs and their work with their sponsor companies, and I got the feeling that all of these students were going to go on to do great things. Then I went to the auditorium and I sat and listened as Mr. Gray gave his famous “get your groceries” speech where he begged us students not to waste our time here and to get as much out of this experience that we could possibly get so that we could go out into the world as leaders. That’s when I knew that this place, the Mecca, was my school. I remember that my mother saw this goofily inspired look on my face when Mr. Gray finished that speech, she leaned over and gave me a hug, and she whispered in my ear, “I think you like it here.” And of course, she was right.
Now it is four years later and my time at the Mecca is ending. And to be honest, I don’t know yet if I’ve gotten my groceries. I don’t think I’ll know that until ten years down the road when I’ve gotten my MBA and, if Dean Paschal has his way, my law degree, and I’m running my own, hopefully successful, company. Maybe then, I’ll know. Maybe then I’ll be able to see what God had already laid out for me today.
Right now, that’s not for me to know. But what I do know is that after four years of school of B exams, late night study sessions, group projects and presentations, battles with the administration, protests and marches on the national mall and many deep, late-night discussions, as well as all of the homecomings, the yard on a sunny day, and the social scene around Howard and DC, and getting to know all of the people that I have come across in the past four years, I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything. And here I have grown as a man, and I hope my father’s proud. And here I have grown as a human being, and I hope my mother’s proud. And it was here at Howard that I was prepared to go out into the “real world” as an adult and do great things just like every other graduate in this room is prepared to go out and make their own dreams come true. And, I want to thank Howard University for that. We haven’t always seen eye to eye but in the end, I will always have fond memories of this place and everyone here. And even if we’ve never spoken, you will always be my family because we’ve been through a lot together in our four years, good times and bad times.
We’ve experienced tragedy, the Iraq war, the devastation of Katrina, and the tragic events of Virginia Tech, which hit particularly close to home because the victims were just like us, students simply trying to strive for something more. One of the victims, Ryan Clark, was a triple major with a 4.0 GPA. He would have graduated this month. His loss reminds us that there is nothing more tragic than unrealized potential. His memory should be honored by our increased determination to achieve our own success.
I want to say one last thing before I go. My parents are here and I want to thank them because I would not have made it here without them to keep me focused and grounded. I remember I told my mother just before I graduated high school that I wasn’t really all that excited about my high school diploma, and that I wouldn’t be truly excited until I graduated from college because that’s when I would know that I had finally made it. Now that time has come, and I know that it is all because of them.
So I want to thank all of the parents here for making the sacrifices that they made, because I feel that this is more for them than it is for any of us. And to the graduates, you are the future; you are the next generation of leaders for Black America and for this country and you should strive for nothing less than greatness. Because this is our time now. I’m told that there is no such thing as familiar things ending, just new things beginning. So I want to leave you with a quote. Some of you may recognize it and some of you may not, but I find it inspiring and you may find it inspiring as well. "Shoot for the moon and if you miss, sit amongst those stars."
Submitted by Clarice Jordan Lamar, Dallas, TX.