While history is crucial, the community that is being built for the future of democracy is just as essential, according to Charles Bolden Jr.’s commencement address. Bolden — U.S. Marine Maj. Gen., former NASA administrator and founder and CEO Emeritus of The Charles F. Bolden Group — delivered a speech giving advice to an audience of almost 10,000 graduates, many of which began to huddle under umbrellas or ponchos to hide from the rain. Announced as the spring commencement speaker on Mar. 17, Bolden received an honorary degree from Ohio State in 2017 due to his impacts on global sustainability and his involvement in NASA, per prior Lantern reporting. He opened by thanking university president, Ted Carter, and his wife, Linda Carter, who have been “dear friends” since their days back at the Naval Academy. Bolden made a joke about their nicknames — Ted “Slapshot” Carter and Linda “Wonder Woman” Carter — and his appreciation for having met them during his time in the Naval program. Speaking in front of the Ohio Stadium was “daunting,” Bolden said, since he was in awe of the crowd, and he also apologized if he stumbled over his words during his speech because of it. Bolden honored many of this year’s athletic achievements, with a priority on the football and women’s hockey teams. After acknowledging the students receiving degrees, Bolden focused on the 62 graduates who were commissioned yesterday as second lieutenants in the U.S. military. “Your service to our country is appreciated now more than ever,” Bolden said. “I encourage you to remember and regularly look in the mirror, hear me, look in the mirror each day, raise your right hand and repeat the oath you took yesterday.” Bolden clarified that no person or position is mentioned in the oath the military must take, saying that our nation is stationed through the words of our Constitution. “You have the power to make the youth of this country seen, heard and appreciated,” Bolden said. “To create a future that’s divisive, but with drive, purpose and compassion.” Bolden reflected on the conversations throughout his speech that have shaped his life and the choices that he would end up making in the future. He said that when he was 22, he was watching a black and white tv to see the moon landing, but “we were all marines and sailors in broils of war far away, and had a lot of other things on our mind.” Bolden said that becoming an astronaut was the last thing on his mind, but that changed. “Like me coming out of the Naval academy, you may not be certain at this moment where you will finally land professionally, but it is critical for each of you to stay involved in the civic life of our country,” Bolden said. “No matter what community you live in, what your political views are, there is something you can do to make this nation better, right where you live and work.” Bolden pushed forward, saying that political leaders come and go, and they can cause challenges along the way, across the world. However, he said when he travels to other countries, they still look to America as “the shining city on the hill,” and said other countries watch the United States with hope that “we will not put our democracy in jeopardy.” Compared to last year’s spring commencement speech, where the speaker, Christopher Pan, asked students to give feedback on his rough draft of the speech through Instagram responses, per prior Lantern reporting, Bolden followed a more traditional approach. He reflected on his life, the challenges he has faced and how to build a community that is reflective of the nation’s goals. Pan — a social entrepreneur, inspirational speaker and an Ohio State graduate — focused on giving financial advice to the spring 2024 graduating class. After starting his speech with a rendition of “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes, he encouraged students to invest in Bitcoin, open their minds to different perspectives than their own and finished his speech with his own rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.” With Bolden’s approach, the crowd erupted in applause several times, especially when he was describing his vulnerability in moments. Bolden shared a story where he had commanded the first joint U.S.-Russian space shuttle mission, directly after the Cold War. “Our nations were still recovering from the Cold War, but space was an area where we cooperated very well,” Bolden said. “That cosmonaut, Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev, and I, still keep in touch, and our families remain friends. We were just doing our jobs, but I still believe in that promise of citizens everywhere, partnering to rise above our differences.” Moving on, Bolden then discussed his own personal optimism, as well as individually addressing the women and minorities in the crowd. “Especially for the women and minorities in this class, don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself or your identity to everyone,” Bolden said. “Don’t feel like you have to justify why you are where you are. This applies to the workplace or any other place. Don’t be afraid of failure. Even the very best of us get lost or falter sometime.” Bolden ended his speech by describing how he believes that the arc of history “continues to bend towards justice,” though we do not know the outcome. “We need to work together to accomplish the biggest things humanity has ever done,” Bolden said. “People have suffered and some have died to get us where we are. But in the future, we will succeed together as the human race. I appeal to you, keep following the beacon of knowledge and hope that has ignited during your studies here. We need you to share yourselves, your ideas and your decency with the world.”
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