- “Enjoy the moment, but prepare for the future… you’ve already started, thanks to Mac!”
- “Keep your eyes open. Don’t miss an opportunity. Be sensible.”
- “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. Dr. Seuss” –Catherine Innes ’66
- “Be sure to take the job seriously, but try not to take yourself too seriously.” –Rob Whitmore ’89
- “Never be afraid to change your mind if you find you have to.” –Barbara McLeod ’66
- “My mom told me one thing all the time, ‘Read the question carefully.’ Simple, elegant and translates to the real world. If you do’t understand what you’re supposed to be doing, you'll never get it right.” –Mark Cheers ’94
- “Don’t be scared if you graduate and realize you have no idea what you want to do with your life. Sit down. Take a breath. Reflect on what you value, what moves you and what you’re good at. Try to find something that balances all three. Regardless of what you choose, every day is an opportunity to refine your decision. Congratulations!” –Amanda Gibson ’06
- “At the end of day, ALWAYS be able to look yourself in the mirror and say: ‘I have done the best that I can today to help people, work hard at life, respect people, and add value.’ If you can do that, then you have truly had a good day.” –Valerie Barker ’81
- “Treasure the close Mac friendships which you have developed. Keep in touch with them across the world. Decades may fly by but shared laughs and experiences will keep you grounded throughout life. The Mac Marauder ’57 football team still have a ball doing lunch and recalling our life at the wonderful little university which grew to be a world leader.” –Chuck Simmons ’58/59
- “There are not short cuts to success… hard work and dedication will always win.” –Janet Lewis ’96
In 1998, Mary Schmich, a columnist at the Chicago Tribune, writing as a fictional version of Kurt Vonnegut, advised new university graduates to wear sunscreen, floss, stretch and get to know their parents. It may not sound like advice that took the world by storm, but it did. If you don’t remember it, Google it. You won’t be disappointed.
Now it’s your turn. We’re assembling the wisdom, advice and inspiration of the McMaster family … a few sentences at a time. With this form, we invite you to contribute your favourite lines of advice, motivation or inspiration. Think of it as a Convocation speech by committee. We hope you’ll be part of it.
Submit Your Good Advice
In order to leave a mark with our next generation of scholars, we hope you will also consider making a gift to help us foster the highest quality education, a culture of service to our communities and research breakthroughs that will impact the world we live in. This gift will help McMaster to retain its reputation as a world–class academic and research institution.
- “Enjoy the moment, but prepare for the future… you’ve already started, thanks to Mac!”
- “Keep your eyes open. Don’t miss an opportunity. Be sensible.”
- “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. Dr. Seuss” –Catherine Innes ’66
- “Be sure to take the job seriously, but try not to take yourself too seriously.” –Rob Whitmore ’89
- “Never be afraid to change your mind if you find you have to.” –Barbara McLeod ’66
- “My mom told me one thing all the time, ‘Read the question carefully.’ Simple, elegant and translates to the real world. If you do’t understand what you’re supposed to be doing, you'll never get it right.” –Mark Cheers ’94
- “Don’t be scared if you graduate and realize you have no idea what you want to do with your life. Sit down. Take a breath. Reflect on what you value, what moves you and what you’re good at. Try to find something that balances all three. Regardless of what you choose, every day is an opportunity to refine your decision. Congratulations!” –Amanda Gibson ’06
- “At the end of day, ALWAYS be able to look yourself in the mirror and say: ‘I have done the best that I can today to help people, work hard at life, respect people, and add value.’ If you can do that, then you have truly had a good day.” –Valerie Barker ’81
- “Treasure the close Mac friendships which you have developed. Keep in touch with them across the world. Decades may fly by but shared laughs and experiences will keep you grounded throughout life. The Mac Marauder ’57 football team still have a ball doing lunch and recalling our life at the wonderful little university which grew to be a world leader.” –Chuck Simmons ’58/59
- “There are not short cuts to success… hard work and dedication will always win.” –Janet Lewis ’96
