Naomi Tutu, Human Rights Activist, Daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Tells Bentley College Graduates that the 'Self-Made Person' is a Myth

Naomi Tutu, passionate advocate for peace and human rights, a child of Apartheid and daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, told Bentley College graduates during the 88th undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 19, to beware of the myth of the self-made person, reminding them of what her own parents often reminded her, "What you achieve is not yours alone. It is actually a wonderful feeling to know that you are a part of something larger than yourself."

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070519/CLSA009 )

Tutu said she had been fortunate to meet some of those who had made a better life possible for her. She pointed to people who had been killed or imprisoned for protesting Apartheid, including President Nelson Mandela with whom "I had an opportunity to spend time and see the effects of the years of working in those chalk mines on his eyes -- and know that the sacrifice was for me."

For Tutu, one of the most poignant benefits of those sacrifices was her ability to vote 13 years ago, for the very first time in the country of her birth.

"I know that those of you sitting here are not self-made people," she told the graduates. "Not to take away from your achievements, (but) you know that those people sitting behind you -- your family and friends, along with your college faculty and staff -- those who came before you to put up the buildings, those who gave to the college so you would have the wonderful facilities you now have, you know that each of these people have part of the degree that you are going to receive today.

"But of all those people who went before to prepare the way for us, most of those people will not ask us to pay them back," she continued. "But what they do ask of us is to pay it forward. That we make this world a better place for those who come after us in just the way that they made this a better place for us."

Tutu was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

McCallum Graduate School Commencement

During the McCallum commencement ceremony, Trish Karter, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dancing Deer Baking Company told graduates to beware of hubris. "As soon as you believe your own press, have an overblown sense of accomplishment, importance or invincibility . . . it will definitely bring you down. Maybe not on your resume, but in your soul."

Karter, whose company is considered one of the most innovative natural food companies in the U.S., also told graduates that success has many ingredients, from luck to hard work.

"From the beginning, we had a pretty good idea of what we were trying to do with Dancing Deer and a very strong hold on what we weren't going to do. Our beliefs in environmentalism, pure food, meritocracy, transparency and social progress were baked in from the start. By dumb luck we stumbled on the formula of paying attention to the big picture and not compromising those things we held dear."

"You set a goal, work really hard, prepare, have the right equipment, take some risks," she said. "Things don't go as planned, you modify the plan ... If you're lucky, you have some amazing experiences along the way. If you're determined and lucky, you stay alive ... luck is good -- make the most of it," Karter told graduates.

"I advise you to throw out the standard measures of success. Instead, look inside and define your own values. Search for the passion in your life. Follow your dreams, but while you're chasing them, be building and refining your compass and use it every day."

Karter was awarded an honorary doctor of commercial science degree during the graduate ceremony.

Additional information is available online at: http://www.bentley.edu/commencement/index.cfm

About the Graduates

At the undergraduate ceremony, 1,068 Bachelor of Science degrees, 23 Bachelor of Arts degrees, 1 Associate in Science degree and 4 certificates were granted to 1,096 students from 32 states and territories and 40 countries.

At the McCallum Graduate School of Business ceremony, 289 Master of Science degrees, 211 Master of Business Administration degrees, and 38 certificates were granted to 538 graduate students from 18 states and 23 countries.

Faculty and Student Awards

The Gregory H. Adamian Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to Jay C. Thibodeau, associate professor of accountancy, for full-time teaching and also to R. Gilbert Congdon, adjunct instructor of mathematical sciences, for part-time teaching. Jay C. Thibodeau also received the Joseph M. Cronin Award for Excellence in Academic Advising. Bentley bestowed the Scholar of the Year Award to Rajendra S. Sisodia, professor of marketing.

Student honorees included Michael J. Albert and Daniel James Robinson, who were both winners of the Professor Robert J. Weafer Award for Undergraduate Academic Excellence. The Professor William E. Dandes Award for Graduate Academic Excellence went to Adam H. Hoffman and Debra A. Cook. Matt Phung was recognized as the Outstanding Evening Student.

About the Speakers

The challenges of growing up black and female in apartheid South Africa led Naomi Tutu on the path to her present role as a passionate advocate for peace and human rights. Tutu, the daughter of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu and his wife Nomalizo, has made it her life's work to speak out about racial, gender and economic violence around the world.

An authority on race relations, Tutu founded and was the chairperson of the Tutu Foundation for Development and Relief in Southern Africa. From 1985 to 1990, the foundation helped South African refugees become self-supporting by providing them with scholarships, micro-business grants and practical resources. She has continued to work to improve educational and professional opportunities in Africa. She has served as a development consultant in West Africa and as a program coordinator at the University of Cape Town's African Gender Institute.

Tutu holds a bachelor's degree in economics and French from Berea College, in Berea, Ky., and a master's degree in international economic development from the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky.

Tutu is a single mother of three. She says growing up the daughter of Desmond Tutu has offered her opportunities, as well as the challenge of finding her own place in the world. She has taken up that challenge by channeling her opportunities to raise her voice as a champion for the dignity of all. Her latest efforts have focused on fostering connections between women in the U.S. and South Africa through the Sister Sojourner Retreats, as well as helping organizations and community groups in the difficult discussions around race and racism through the Building Bridges workshops she co-leads with Ms. Rose Bator.

Trish Karter co-founded Dancing Deer Baking Co. thirteen years ago and is credited with building a brand identity that propelled the Boston bakery from local markets into national distribution. As CEO and president of the company, Karter marries her creative, artistic, environmental, community and business interests. In 2005, FORTUNE Small Business included Karter on its list of "Best Bosses."

Dancing Deer is considered one of the country's most innovative natural food companies and has received numerous awards for its philanthropic efforts, including the Sweet Home Project. The company donates 35 percent of the retail price from the Sweet Home product line to direct action programs to end family homelessness. Karter is active in the local community and works with the City of Boston's efforts to promote economic well-being in otherwise overlooked areas.

Karter's first business adventure was to leave her studies in Classics and Art History at Wheaton College and help dig her father out of a Chapter 11 Reorganization. He had pioneered the recycling of bottles and cans on an industrial basis and his company went on to write the book on how to reclaim that portion of the waste stream.

In 1982 Karter received a Masters in Public and Private Management from Yale University. After devoting five years to her love of drawing and painting, Karter unexpectedly found her way back to the business world and formed Dancing Deer. She has committed the company to being a leader in the natural foods movement, green manufacturing and philanthropy.

Bentley is a national leader in business education. Centered on education and research in business and related professions, Bentley blends the breadth and technological strength of a university with the values and student focus of a small college. Our undergraduate curriculum combines business study with a strong foundation in the arts and sciences. A broad array of offerings at the McCallum Graduate School emphasize the impact of technology on business practice, including MBA and Master of Science programs, PhD programs in accountancy and in business, and selected executive programs. Enrolling approximately 4,000 full-time undergraduate, 250 adult part-time undergraduate, and 1,270 graduate students, Bentley is located in Waltham, Mass., minutes west of Boston. More information can be found at http://www.bentley.edu.