A little more than 200 BBA and MPA students graduated from McCombs on Dec. 4. Scott Ingraham, BBA '76, principal founder of Zuma Capital and co-founder of Rent.com, gave the commencement address.

In the address, titled "First Get in the Building, then Learn Baby Learn," Ingraham told graduates that, while their careers would require them to use everything they were taught at McCombs, they still had a lot to learn.

Their newly acquired degrees, he explained, will offer possibility and opportunity--not certainty or guarantees.

"If you have any sense of entitlement or expectations do yourself a favor and hit the delete button now," Ingraham advised. "Humility combined with a fierce determination to succeed is one potent combination."

Ingraham acknowledged that new graduates are facing a tough economic climate. He advised them to get in the right building, find a mentor, and become a sponge for learning. He also said that tough times never last, but tough people do.

"Many of you are apprehensive about leaving college and going to work. I certainly was 34 years ago," Ingraham told the crowd. "You can't possibly visualize or plan your entire career today, so don't even try. Instead, follow the advice of the great J.P. Morgan who said 100 years ago, 'Go as far as you can see. When you get there, you will see even further.'"

Watch the video of the December commencement ceremony:

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Our friends at The Alcalde shared this commencement story about a 1982 McCombs alumna who had a surprising moment of her own while attending her daughter's fall graduation ceremony:

Wednesday night’s [UT class ring] ceremony brought a different meaningful moment when the family of Longhorn mom Dawn Yantis, BBA ’82, surprised her with the class ring she never had.
 
Dawn’s daughter, nursing major Callie Yantis, was already receiving her ring at the ceremony.
 
Dawn and her husband drove the two hours from Bellville, as did Callie’s grandfather (Dawn’s dad). Callie’s sister even flew in from Lubbock, where she attends Texas Tech, for the evening.
 
Dawn thought they were all there just to celebrate Callie. But the night became even more special than Dawn had expected when the name reader mentioned one last ring for a 1982 finance graduate.
 
“You could see she wrinkled her forehead when they said 1982, and when they said finance, I could see she knew,” Callie says. “She just started bawling. I knew she would be emotional. We were both crying.”