Delivered May 27, 2026
Graduating students, President Lahey, Chancellor Debra Dean Little, Robert Little, parents and families, faculty, staff and honoured guests. It is my sincere privilege to address you tonight. To the graduating students, I congratulate you on your amazing accomplishments. You are graduating from one of the best universities in the country.
I want to speak to you today about positivity in the workplace and in your lives as you move forward as a graduating student of King’s.
As someone who had the pleasure of serving this university for 33 years as Director of Athletics, I consider myself fortunate to have worked in this position that I loved every day. I had the privilege of working with amazing athletic staff, coaches and student athletes. We worked together to build programs that enriched the student experience at King’s.
I was very fortunate to work for four university presidents over the years but I would like to especially acknowledge our current president Bill Lahey. You have a massive list of amazing accomplishments that are too numerous to mention. Your vision for excellence in all areas of the campus was welcomed and appreciated. I will never forget how present you were for all of us, and we enjoyed your hands-on leadership.
To Chancellor Debra Dean Little and Bob Little, you have done so much for Athletics and for the university. The entire King’s community has been so grateful for your incredible generosity.
To the King’s faculty and staff, you always have the students’ best interests at heart and work tirelessly every day to make King’s a better place for everyone.
I would like to congratulate honorees, Ann Sylliboy and Doug Ruck, on their accomplishments over many years of service to our university. You are truly amazing individuals.
To the graduates, it is so true that King’s has some of the brightest and engaged students. As you begin your journey into the next phase of your lives in the workforce, grad school or any other adventure, I would like to leave you with some insight on the importance of Positive Work Culture that I hope will resonate with you.
When we speak of culture in the workplace or university setting, we are referring to the following:
Work culture is the shared environment, attitudes, values and behaviour that define how a workplace functions. In other words, it is the “personality of the organization.”
In my former world as Athletic Director at King’s, our teams, coaches and athletic staff often spoke of “team culture” as being the key to our student-athlete experience and the overall success of our programs. This included everything from teamwork on and off the field to our students feeling supported by their teammates, coaches and athletic staff.
As you graduate and move on to the next phases of your life, you bring your own student life experiences to your future workplaces and graduate schools. We all contribute to workplace culture, and the goal is to have a positive experience.
By design, universities have many sub-communities that work together to make one functioning university that works harmoniously toward common educational goals and experiences. A positive workplace culture in universities balances academic excellence with respect, collaboration, well-being, diversity and inclusiveness which are absolutely crucial.
Universities bring together faculty, staff, researchers, administrators, and students with different goals and pressures. A strong culture helps create a healthy, productive workplace.
There are so many positive things that I have noticed at King’s that happen every day that give us such a great positive culture. King’s has amazing students who bring enthusiasm and a zest for learning. Kings has dedicated and talented professors who lay the groundwork for developing students and future leaders in such an accepting and inclusive environment that is seen in this university.
It is impossible to achieve good workplace culture without great leadership. Senior admin teams, faculty, and staff … support each other to deliver great academic programs. They work tirelessly every day to create a positive and supportive atmosphere.
In a world that can sometimes seem to be dominated by a culture of negativity, King’s gives great hope for the future. Our well-educated students care about each other and the state of the world, and they are ready to get out there to make a difference!
So, what can you do to contribute to positive workplace culture?
On the job, in the classroom, or in the community, try to get to know people better. Challenge yourself to see the good in people and be an ally.
How important is it to be positive?
It is the cornerstone of good workplace culture. People need to be supported now, more than ever. It brings out the best in everyone. It is infectious!
Remember that life is about the journey and making great memories for yourself and everyone around you. Think of others, and be caring and engaged. Kindness is essential! So be kind, always!
Always remember, in your lives, you will do important things, but while it is nice to be important, it is also important to be nice!
To the graduates, we are infinitely proud of you. All the best to each of you!
I thank you all so much for listening. I hope you have a great week celebrating your accomplishments!