Mayor White calls for grads to serve others

Mayor White calls for grads to serve others

BY LINDSEY FIELDER
Rice News staff

Members of the Class of 2006 are the luckiest people on the planet, said Houston Mayor Bill White at Rice University’s 93rd commencement ceremony May 13.

Photo by Jeff Fitlow

Houston Mayor Bill White delivered the commencement address at Rice’s 93rd graduation ceremony May 13.

“I don’t know how any of us are lucky enough to have the opportunity of education, supportive parents or the opportunity to live in the greatest city of America,” he said.
White called graduates to repay that debt by including an element of public service in their dreams for the future. “Public service takes all sorts of forms,” he said. It can be random acts of kindness, selfless work for others or even help for a friend in need.

White said service to others is not a heroic sacrifice. “Those who make [service] a habit and weave it into their lives will tell you that is simply not the case,” he said. “You get the biggest rewards from helping a stranger who doesn’t expect it.”

Not forgetting his own career in government, White said Rice’s Class of 2006 had the talent to make a difference through positions ranging from teachers and police officers to those who make and interpret laws.

White cited the leadership examples of Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln. “We should not settle for less than the best in public leadership,” he said. “The best leaders followed principles that are applicable in any institution.”

Leaders recruit the best. They know a lot about the government and hold others accountable. Effective leaders communicate. “Finally, they worked tirelessly to accomplish all the other objectives,” White said.

During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, these components came together to help the city of Houston stand out during the disaster relief, he said.

“I think we’ve come to expect too often that those in government are not the most qualified to hold those positions,” he said. “The ultimate promise that the democratic government can perform at the highest level is the values and the self-motivation of those who participate in it. I want to encourage you to [contribute].”