Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
For The Birmingham Times
Graduates of Lawson State Community College were challenged Friday to change the world, because they are equipped to do so.
“The fact that you’re sitting where you are means that you have what you need to take that next step in life,” said commencement speaker Lyn Stanfield, who leads the Global Inclusion and Diversity External Relations team at Apple Inc.
The world today is constantly changing because of the vast amount of data that’s created — more than in the history of mankind, she said.
“As much as our world is rapidly advancing so much still remains the same,” the speaker said. “We still live in a world where systemic racism exists, where the homeless need help, the unemployed need our opportunity, the LGBTQ community needs acceptance and institutions which disproportionately fail people of color, and women, require reform.
“However, in the midst of this there is positive news,” Stanfield continued. “That news is that you, graduates, are ready to make the most significant change in the social, economic and political landscape that this country has ever seen. We’re counting on you graduates to bring about reform, change, establish new economies, innovate and support technological advances.”
The speaker said she is often asked about the ‘i’ that is part of the name of so many Apple products, from iPhone to iPad. She said Apple founder Steve Jobs introduced the iMac and ‘i’ stood for the internet. “It also stood for information, instruction, inform and inspire,” she said.
Stanfield challenged the graduates to change the world with “four little ‘i’s – improve, innovate, imagine and inspire.
The diversity leader cited the instructions of flight attendants when she spoke of improvement. In case of emergency, a passenger is told to put on his own oxygen mask before attempting to help someone else.
“But the truth of the matter is you can’t help someone else if you’re languishing,” Stanfield said. “One of the easiest ways to languish is to deal with negative people, people who bring your mood down with pessimism, anxiety and a general sense of distrust. Whatever you do graduates, don’t ever allow someone who’s given up on their dreams to cause you to give up on yourself. If you are going to change the world, you’ve got improve your world by letting go of negative people.”
Stanfield told a story that involved putting a potato, an egg and ground coffee into separate pots of boiling water. Each is a way to deal with adversity.
“Are you going to be a potato, softening and giving in?” she asked. “Are you going to be an egg and harden yourself on the inside? Or are you going to be coffee … and create something new. Graduates, what I can tell you is if you’re going to change the world, you have to innovate.”
The speaker challenged the graduates to imagine the possibilities. She cited a 1971 term paper by a Yale University student about transportation and logistics that netted him a grade of C-minus. Undaunted, that student, Fred Smith, eventually dusted off that term paper and used it to create what is now known as FedEx, which in 2018 generated $65 billion.
“It’s not too bad for a C-minus idea,” Stanfield laughed. “Innovation will require adversity and sometimes failure. And what separates the masses from people like Fred Smith is that many times in life, people fail, not because they aim too high, is because they aim too low. Don’t let adversity and failure kill your imagination.”
The final ‘i’ – inspire – calls on graduates to motivate others.
“I challenge you to be the voice, to be the change, to be the person who pulls up someone, but yet pushes someone else up,” Stanfield said. “If you want to change the world, you’ve got to inspire others, and I challenge you to reach high, reach even higher, and then reach back.
