ANNAPOLIS, MD – Governor Wes Moore yesterday delivered the commencement address to the Summer 2023, Winter 2023 and Spring 2024 graduating classes at the University of Maryland College Park. In front of alumni, faculty, family, and friends, Governor Moore encouraged graduates to “Choose Tough,” emphasizing the importance of seeking challenges in order to foster growth.
Excerpts from Governor Moore’s speech as prepared:“You are about to write the next chapter in your lives. All of you will have different stories. But the one thing I can guarantee is this: Challenges await you. And you won’t be able to predict them. You will see trials you never saw coming. You will have moments that define you – that you didn’t anticipate. The only question is: Will you be prepared when life throws you a curveball?”“Choose the thing that forces you to wake up early. Choose the thing that forces you to stay up late. Choose the thing that your family or friends might not understand. Choose the thing that doesn’t just take you out of your comfort zone – but keep you out of your comfort zone. Because when you choose tough, that’s when you figure out how to take on whatever life throws at you.”“For me, it was the military that served as the preparation for everything I would face in life… it’s the kind of preparation that helped me and my team respond when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed… And when people ask me: ‘What kind of training helped you respond when the unthinkable happened?’ My answer isn’t: ‘Well, you know I have a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations.’ My answer is: ‘I choose tough. That was my preparation.’”“Choosing tough is pushing yourself to your very limit – and then pushing some more. And if you choose tough, I promise that you will be ready to take on the world. It won’t be glamorous – It won’t be simple – And it won’t get you any short-term reward. But if life has taught me anything, it's this…The things that are hard are the things that last. The things that come easy are the things that don’t matter. And those who push will be the ones who prevail.”The University of Maryland, College Park, founded in 1856, is the state’s public land-grant research university. The University of Maryland is the largest university in the state and the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Ranked at #19 on the
U.S. News & World public national universities list, the University of Maryland, College Park serves as the flagship university of the University System of Maryland. Notable alumni include First Lady Dawn Moore; Larry David, and Gayle King.