Michael Lamb Has Taught About Commencement Speeches For Years. Now, He's Delivered One.
For years, Michael Lamb has taught “Commencing Character,” an award-winning course at Wake Forest University that examines the character behind commencement speeches.
In May, he finally delivered a commencement speech of his own.
After years of assigning them to students, “it was meaningful – and challenging! – to write one myself,” he says.
Lamb, our Program’s senior executive director, spoke to the graduating class at Maryville College in his home state of Tennessee in May 2025. His message: Err on the side of gratitude.
“Commencement is a moment when we have a chance to recognize how far we’ve come – and how many people helped us along the way,” he says. “In such moments, gratitude feels especially fitting, and I wanted to give students both an opportunity to feel gratitude and also to express it. That’s why we gave students blank cards to write notes of thanks to people who supported them. Gratitude is best expressed through action.”
He also focused on two virtues that gratitude can bring out: humility and hope. “If we gratefully acknowledge those who’ve helped us along the way, we implicitly recognize that we didn’t do it all by ourselves,” he said in his speech. “When we recognize the good things in our lives and those who’ve assisted us, we can see grounds for hope and become less likely to despair.”
He also suggested that gratitude can motivate service: “By acknowledging the role that others play in our lives, including those who might typically be unseen or unacknowledged, we become better able to offer the respect and recognition they are due. And if we are better able to see others, we are better able – and motivated – to serve them.”
Lamb says he’s grateful to Maryville College for the opportunity. “It feels very special to have a chance to celebrate students and speak into their lives at this threshold moment in their development.”
- Watch an excerpt from the speech
- Read the entire address