Congratulations to Russell Wilson, the NFL quarterback received an honorary degree from Dartmouth College this past Sunday.
This degree was awarded to him for a number of reasons. Philip J. Hanlon, the president of Dartmouth College said before Russell took the stage to accept his award, “For your poise, leadership and sportsmanship, both on and off the field, for your commitment to improving the lives of others and for your belief in the power of positivity and helping people reach their full potential, Dartmouth is proud to award you the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters.”
Wilson, whose father attended the school as well, said in his speech, “Standing here at my father’s alma mater, looking out over this place that helped him become the man he was, it’s impossible not to think about his legacy.”
He continued, “And living with legacy is what I want to talk to you about today. Now, legacy might seem like a stranger topic for a commencement speech because, I mean, this is your beginning. You’re just starting out. But, graduates, if there’s one thing I hope to accomplish today, it’s to challenge you not to wait to think about your legacy and what that will be. Because legacy isn’t just something you leave behind. It’s something you build, something you add to every day. My dad, he didn’t get as many days as he deserved. I miss him so much. But because he lived with legacy, he’s never really gone. I hear his voice all the time.”
Wilson added, “Class of 2022, I have a theory that we’re all born with gifts, with skills, but we’re not always born with dreams. We need someone to plant that seed, light that spark. And my dad’s way of lighting that spark was a simple three-word question: why not you?”
Congratulations again to Russell Wilson.