Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's Knox College Commencement Address: Courage and Showing Up

Dad Advice for Graduates

• 💡 Dad advice is presented as the most valuable kind, boiling down modern complexities to essentials.
• 💰 Graduates are advised to budget streaming services, suggesting Netflix, Apple Plus, and HBO cover most needs, with Hulu or Disney Plus as optional additions.
• 💡 A humorous reminder to turn off lights when leaving a room is given, emphasizing energy conservation and avoiding unnecessary electricity bills.
• ⚠️ A serious note on tire pressure is made, comparing ignoring dashboard alerts to viewing the US Constitution as a suggestion, warning of consequences.

The Importance of Showing Up

• 📌 The most critical lesson learned is the importance of showing up for loved ones' events, big or small.
• 🤝 This includes attending family gatherings, celebrations, and being present for awards, no matter how minor the achievement.
• 💔 The speaker shares a personal anecdote about delivering a eulogy for a state trooper, highlighting how showing up offers comfort and hope to grieving families.
• 🎁 Showing up is framed as a generous and unique gift, conveying that the attendee's presence is the most important thing.

Embracing Doubt and Courage

• 🧠 In a world of shifting ground and uncertainty, the speaker emphasizes seeking truth that predates current fashion.
• ⚖️ Graduates are encouraged to have confidence but also doubt, as doubt fosters curiosity, humility, and the pursuit of knowledge.
• 🤔 Doubt prompts important questions, such as evaluating facts, trusting first impressions, and critically assessing information, especially from social media.
• 💡 The capacity to change one's opinion based on new information is highlighted as more impressive than absolute certainty.

Knox College's Legacy of Courage

• 🏛️ Knox College is praised for its founding principles in 1837, opposing slavery and advocating for equal access to education.
• 🏆 The college's heritage is presented as a rare and valuable foundation built on courage.
• 🗣️ The speaker contrasts the ease of chasing popularity with the difficulty of choosing the morally courageous path, citing Knox College's history.
• 🌟 The legacy of Abraham Lincoln's 1858 debate at Knox College is highlighted, emphasizing how the community's expectation of bravery inspired him.
• 💪 Graduates are urged to embody this legacy, expecting bravery from themselves and others, and to stand on the right side of history.