PRESIDENT MARY SUE COLEMAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING ME HERE TODAY. IT IS AN HONOR TO BE ON THE SAME STAGE AS SUCH ESTEEMED INDIVIDUALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MICHIGAN, SO IT IS ESPECIALLY MOVING FOR ME TO BE STANDING HERE TODAY IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST INSTITUTIONS OF LEARNING.

MY PARENTS AND ONE OF MY THREE BROTHERS ARE HERE.

MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY AGO MY OWN FATHER “BIG BOB WOODRUFF” GRADUATED FROM THIS UNIVERSITY AFTER BEING DRAFTED BY THE ARMY DURING THE KOREAN WAR. HIS EDUCATION WAS PAID FOR BY THE NATION’S “GI” BILL.

SINCE WE ARE ALL MICHIGANDERS TO SOME DEGREE?HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THE TIGERS? NO MATTER WHERE IN THE WORLD I HAVE LIVED I HAVE NEVER LET GO OF MY TEAM.

I VIVIDLY REMEMBER THAT WORLD SERIES VICTORY IN 1968. I WAS 7 YEARS OLD WITH MY FRIENDS AT SCHOOL LISTENING TO THE RADIO ON THE PLAYGROUND WHEN ERNIE HARWELL’S VOICE POURED INTO MY EARS. MR. HARWELL, FORTY YEARS LATER, I STILL HEAR YOU AND NOW I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF SEEING YOU IN PERSON.

SO NOW, ALL OF YOU 4000 GRADUATES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, IT IS YOUR TURN. THIS IS A FAST AND RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD AND YOU ARE THE FUTURE. AS YOU KNOW, THE PACE OF EVERYTHING, FROM TECHNOLOGY TO INFORMATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEPLETION OF RESOURCES HAS BEEN ACCELERATING FOR DECADES LIKE THIS (HAND GOING UPWARD) BUT NOW IT IS LIKE THIS.

MY FIRST MESSAGE TO YOU IS THAT YOU HAVE THE POWER AND THE INFLUENCE TO AFFECT CHANGE. YOU MAY NOT FEEL IT RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT. BUT THE FUTURE IS YOU.

SOME OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH MY STORY. BASICALLY, I WAS BLOWN UP AND THEN SURVIVED. THAT IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AROUND HERE TO BE INVITED TO GIVE THE GRADUATION SPEECH AT MY ALMA MATER.

WHILE COVERING THE WAR OUTSIDE OF BAGHDAD FOR ABC NEWS, I WAS HIT BY AN IED, AS SO MANY OF OUR SERVICE MEMBERS ARE INJURED EVERY DAY IN THIS WAR.

IN FACT A RECENT REPORT BY THE RAND CORPORATION FOUND THAT MORE THAN 300,000 AMERICAN SOLDIERS HAVE SOME FORM OF A BRAIN INJURY. THAT INCLUDES PHYSICAL INJURIES OR MENTAL STRESS FROM COMBAT. SOME OF THEM HAVE OBVIOUS WOUNDS—OTHERS ARE MORE HIDDEN.

IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AT COLLEGE, YOU PROBABLY DON’T THINK A HECK OF A LOT ABOUT THESE SERVICE MEMBERS, WHO ARE, MOST OF THEM, JUST YOUR AGE. THEY WAKE UP EVERY DAY WONDERING IF THIS IS GOING TO BE THE DAY THEY STUMBLE ON AN IED BURIED IN A PILE OF TRASH, OR ROLL DOWN A ROAD WITH A BOMB DUG INTO THE DIRT.

YOU WILL INHERIT THIS NEXT GENERATION OF WOUNDED AND IT WILL BE UP TO YOU, FOR THE MOST PART, TO HELP THEM AS THEY ASSIMILATE BACK INTO SOCIETY AND TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE AS A SOCIETY FOR THE FACT THAT THEY RAISED THEIR HANDS TO GO TO IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN—SO THAT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO.

WHETHER YOU ARE FOR OR AGAINST THIS WAR, I BELIEVE THAT THE VETERANS MUST BE TREATED WITH DIGNITY WHEN THEY RETURN HOME. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE. IT IS SIMPLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I HAVE COVERED WARS FOR YEARS BUT MY WIFE LEE WON’T LET ME GO BACK TO IRAQ UNTIL THE IEDS STOP BOOMING.

LUCKILY FOR ME, AS A JOURNALIST, THERE ARE SO MANY OTHER INTERESTING THINGS HAPPENING ON THE PLANET.

SO LET’S START WITH THE WORLD YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER. AS A JOURNALIST I GET TO SEE A 360-DEGREE VIEW—FROM CRISIS TO OPPORTUNITY. AND I BELIEVE THAT EVERY GRADUATE TODAY HAS AN INCREDIBLE CHANCE TO MAKE A MARK, BOTH PERSONALLY AND AS A GENERATION.

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN AMERICANS RARELY LEFT THIS COUNTRY. THERE WAS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN ON THE EAST AND THE PACIFIC OCEAN ON THE WEST WHICH LARGELY PROTECTED US AND COMFORTED US. THESE BARRIERS ARE BASICALLY GONE. WE ARE TRULY ONE BIG PLANET NOW. IN SOME SENSE, BORDERS ARE IRRELEVANT.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO VOYAGE AROUND THE ENTIRE PLANET. I BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL SEE AND KNOW MORE OF IT THAN ANY OTHER GENERATION.

YOU CAN CALL AFRICA WITH YOUR CELL PHONE, WATCH MOVIES MADE IN ASIA AND HAVE HOURS OF CONVERSATIONS ON THE INTERNET WITH PEOPLE YOU’VE NEVER PERSONALLY MET, EVERYWHERE FROM EUROPE TO SOUTH AMERICA TO THE MIDDLE EAST.

WHEN I STARTED TRAVELING ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO I WOULD FIND TOWNS OR VILLAGES OVERSEAS THAT HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD FROM ANY FOREIGNER BEFORE—ESPECIALLY AN AMERICAN. THERE ARE STILL A FEW PLACES LIKE THIS, BUT FEWER EVERYDAY.

THOSE VILLAGES NOW KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WORLD. THEY ARE ABLE TO TRAVEL LIKE NEVER BEFORE. GOVERNMENTS STILL TRY TO MANIPULATE MESSAGES. BUT THE POLITICAL THREAT FROM OUTSIDE A TOWN OR COUNTRY IS NOT NECESSARILY FROM A WARSHIP OR A BOMB—IT CAN COME THROUGH CABLES OR THE AIR, FLOWING INTO WEBSITES AND EMAILS.

JUST RECENTLY, THERE WAS THE BIGGEST UPRISING IN TIBET SINCE 1988. CHINA WOULD HAVE PREFERRED NO ONE KNOW ABOUT THIS, BUT YOU SAW THE VIDEO SHOT WITH CELL PHONES AND SENT ON THE INTERNET TO THE WORLD.

VIOLENCE IN MYANMAR WAS REVEALED THE SAME WAY—WITH CELL PHONE PICTURES OF TOURISTS, REPORTERS AND MONKS.

I HAVE ALSO SEEN SUCH HOPE. IN LATE JANUARY I WENT INTO SUDAN WHERE DARFUR HAS BEEN HORRIFIC AND DANGEROUS.

PRESSURE NEEDS TO BE KEPT ON THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP THESE PEOPLE. BUT MUCH OF THE PROBLEM IS POVERTY AND TRIBAL CONFLICTS. SO WE WENT THERE WITH GEOLOGIST FAROUK EL BAZ, A PROFESSOR AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY WHOSE IMAGES TAKEN FROM SPACE HAVE FOUND A POTENTIAL LAKE THE SIZE OF LAKE ERIE UNDER THE SAND. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN NORTHERN DARFUR WE FOUND PERFECT SHELLS ON THE DESERT. DRILL FOR WATER AND PERHAPS MORE FOOD WILL HELP BRING PEACE. WHY NOT TRY IT?

YOU HAVE A WEALTH OF CHOICES TODAY ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO BECOME.

IF YOU ARE A SCIENTIST OR DOCTOR, YOUR WORK COULD SAVE LIVES AROUND THE WORLD, NOT JUST IN YOUR CITY. IF YOU ARE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, STUDYING HISTORY OR MATH, YOUR TEACHING CAN BE PART OF THE WORKPLACE AT LARGE. USE ALL THE TOOLS THAT YOU HAVE TO PROBLEM SOLVE, INFORM AND UNIFY PEOPLE. APPLY A WORLD VIEW TO WHAT YOU DO AND LEARN AND YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO SOLVE SOME OF THE WORLDS GREAT ISSUES.

THAT LEADS ME TO MY NEXT MESSAGE. DON’T FEAR CHANGE.

THIS UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CHANGED MY LIFE MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO BUT IT HAPPENED OVER TIME. I STUDIED CHINESE IN 1986 BECAUSE I BELIEVED THAT CHINA WOULD EVENTUALLY BE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH, EVEN THOUGH THAT COUNTRY WAS STILL DEEPLY COMMUNIST AT THE TIME.

JUST AS I STARTED PRACTICING LAW, THE ECONOMIC MARKETS COLLAPSED. I WAS SO BORED I MARRIED MY WIFE. WAIT A MINUTE FLIP THAT! I GOT A JOB TEACHING LAW IN BEIJING AND THEN ASKED MY GIRLFRIEND TO MARRY ME AND MOVE TO CHINA. BECAUSE I LOVED HER, OF COURSE.

THAT WAS TWO DAYS BEFORE WE MOVED TO BEIJING. WE LIVED THERE FOR ONE YEAR IN SOME PRETTY HARSH CONDITIONS. IT WAS AN AMAZING YEAR, WHICH ENDED WITH THE 1989 UPRISING IN TIANANMEN SQUARE. I GOT A JOB TRANSLATING FOR CBS NEWS DURING THAT TIME AND IT WAS MY FIRST INKLING THAT THIS WAS WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO—I WANTED TO BE A JOURNALIST. BUT HOW?

I DECIDED TO GIVE THE LAW ONE MORE SHOT OUT OF NEW YORK CITY AND MY WIFE AND I MOVED TO SAN FRANCISCO AFTER WE LEFT CHINA. WE HAD OUR FIRST CHILD. BUT THEN THE GULF WAR BROKE OUT IN 1991 AND ALL I COULD DO WAS WATCH WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON TV. I LONGED TO BE THERE.

THE KIND OF WORK I WAS DOING DID NOT FEED MY SOUL AND SO I MADE A FAIRLY RADICAL MOVE AT THE TIME. I LEFT MY SIX FIGURE LAW FIRM JOB WITH A TWO MONTH OLD BABY AT HOME AND ACCEPTED A JOB AS A TV REPORTER IN A TINY CALIFORNIA TOWN FOR 12,000 DOLLARS A YEAR. WE QUALIFIED FOR FOOD STAMPS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. LUCKILY, MY WIFE WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED WRITER AND HAD A MARKETING BACKGROUND.

AND SO FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS I COVERED MANY STORIES FROM LOCAL NEWS TO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO WARS FROM YUGOSLAVIA TO AFGHANISTAN TO IRAQ. OUR FAMILY MOVED NINE TIMES IN THE FIRST 13 YEARS OF MARRIAGE.

IN JANUARY 2006, JUST A MONTH BEFORE A ROADSIDE BOMB IN IRAQ WOULD HIT ME, I WAS NAMED CO-ANCHOR OF ABC’S WORLD NEWS, AFTER THE UNTIMELY DEATH OF PETER JENNINGS.

AND SO THAT IS MY SECOND PIECE OF ADVICE TO YOU TODAY—AND IF YOU REMEMBER NOTHING ELSE, REMEMBER THIS. DON’T FEAR CHANGE. EMBRACE IT. GIVE YOURSELF THE FREEDOM TO SWITCH CAREERS, GO BACK TO SCHOOL OR CHOOSE YOUR PASSION WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGNING YOUR LIFE. DREAM BIG?AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, DON?T BE AFRAID TO FAIL.

SOME OF THE GREATEST IDEAS, INVENTIONS, OUTCOMES HAVE BEEN BORN OUT OF FAILURE. TRY DIFFERENT THINGS. REACH AND AIM HIGH. COURSE CORRECTIONS ARE PART OF LIFE. APPROACH THE AGE-OLD QUESTION OF “WHAT DO I WANT TO DO” BY ASKING YOURSELF, “WHAT DO I LIKE TO DO?” DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND THE MONEY WILL FOLLOW. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN THAT.

THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY AMAZING MOMENTS IN MY LIFE. I HAD A GREAT CHILDHOOD, AMAZING PARENTS AND BROTHERS. I MARRIED A GREAT WOMAN AND PUT HER THROUGH HELL. I HAVE FOUR WONDERFUL KIDS WHO ARE MY LIFE AND I’VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A CAREER THAT LET ME TRAVEL THE WORLD.

BUT I FACED PERHAPS MY GREATEST CHALLENGE WHEN HUNDREDS OF ROCKS AND METAL HIT THE LEFT SIDE OF MY HEAD, WITH THE FORCE OF A BLAST. A 155 MM ROADSIDE BOMB HAD EXPLODED 20 FEET FROM WHERE MY CAMERAMAN AND I WERE STANDING PARTIALLY OUT OF THE TANK.

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT, MY SHATTERED SKULL, A COMA FOR 36 DAYS AND THEN, AS SO MANY OF OUR WOUNDED SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE FACING EVERY DAY IN THIS COUNTRY—THE LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY TO REGAIN MYSELF AFTER A BRAIN INJURY.

I LEARNED RECENTLY FROM ONE OF THE SURGEONS WHO HAD BEEN IN THE BATTLEFIELD HOSPITAL—THAT, WRITTEN NEXT TO MY NAME ON MY MEDICAL CHART WAS THE WORD “EXPECTED”—THAT MEANT, “EXPECTED TO DIE.”

AND WHEN I DID WAKE UP—IN A DRAMATIC AND HUMOROUS WAY—WHICH YOU CAN READ ABOUT IN OUR BOOK “IN AN INSTANT” JUST OUT IN PAPERBACK—I DIDN’T KNOW THE NAMES OF MY KIDS, IN FACT I HAD FORGOTTEN THAT I HAD TWINS AT ALL.

I CALLED ALL OF MY BROTHERS DAVE, AND I WAS MISSING MANY, MANY WORDS. I LIVED FOR FOUR MONTHS WITH PART OF MY SKULL MISSING AND I BATTLED FATIGUE AND PAIN CONSTANTLY.

WITH THE HELP OF MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, OUR COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK AND IN MY HOME TOWN OF BIRMINGHAM AND A HUGE SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN COMMUNITY, I WAS ABLE TO COME BACK AND CONTINUE AS A FATHER, HUSBAND, AND NOW AS JOURNALIST.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT—FOR THOSE PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS AND GOOD WILL. IF YOU EVER FOLLOWED OUR STORY—YOU HAVE HELPED ME TO RETURN TO WHAT I LOVE TO DO.

AND SO MY LAST LITTLE NUGGET TODAY IS TO TELL YOU THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT. HUMAN BEINGS ARE INCREDIBLY RESILIENT. THE BODY AND THE MIND CAN DO AMAZING THINGS. PEOPLE CAN FIGHT BACK AGAINST GREAT ODDS AND TRIUMPH. AND WHEN YOU HIT THAT ROUGH PATCH IN YOUR LIFE, AND AT SOME POINT YOU WILL, YOU WILL NEED TO DRAW UPON ALL OF YOUR ARTILLERY.

FAITH, LOVE, FAMILY, FRIENDS, DETERMINATION, MOTIVATION, SHEER DOGGEDNESS—THESE WERE SOME OF THE TOOLS I HAD AT MY DISPOSAL. I WAS LUCKY—AND I WAS ALSO BLESSED.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE THE GREATEST GIFTS IN LIFE. I FOUND THAT OUT WHEN I WAS INJURED AND YOU, MOST LIKELY, WILL ENCOUNTER A TIME WHEN YOU WILL NEED TO LEAN ON OTHERS TO HELP YOU GET BY. IT IS NOT A STRAIGHT LINE. THE FRIENDS YOU MADE HERE AT MICHIGAN WILL MOST LIKELY BE FRIENDS FOR LIFE.

BISHOP DESMOND TUTU HAS A QUOTE THAT SPEAKS TO ME, AND SO I SHARE IT WITH YOU TODAY. HE SAYS, “I AM SORRY TO SAY THAT SUFFERING IS PART AND PARCEL PART OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE. AND SO WE CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE IT EMBITTER US—OR ENNOBLE US.”

I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANYONE AMONG US WHO WANTS TO BE A BITTER OLD PERSON. I KNOW I DON’T. AND SO I URGE YOU TO TAKE THOSE CHALLENGES AND RISE TO THEM.

LASTLY, I’D LIKE YOU TO DO ONE THING FOR ME TODAY. I’D LIKE YOU TO THANK YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR FAMILY TODAY. THEY HELPED GET YOU HERE TO THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION.

WHETHER THEY PAID CASH FOR YOUR TUITION OR TOOK A SECOND MORTGAGE ON THE HOUSE—OR HELPED FACILITATE YOUR STUDENT LOAN—THEY MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GET HERE. THEY HAVE GIVEN OF THEMSELVES TO INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE IN WAYS YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND NOW. SO TURN TO THEM AT SOME POINT TODAY AND HONOR THEM FOR THAT. YOUR PARENTS ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES HERE.

SO HERE YOU ARE. I’M DONE SPEAKING AND THIS IS IT. YOUR COLLEGE GRADUATION.

THIS ONE MOMENT WILL NEVER COME AGAIN.

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW—OR IF YOU ARE EVEN LISTENING. I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN I GRADUATED FROM COLGATE UNIVERSITY EXACTLY 25 YEARS AGO, WE ALSO HAD A JOURNALIST DELIVER OUR COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS—ABC’S NIGHTLINE ANCHOR TED KOPPEL, WHO WAS FUNNY AND MOVING AND INTELLIGENT. BUT I CAN’T REMEMBER A DAMN THING ABOUT WHAT HE SAID THAT DAY.

SO I’M NOT OFFENDED YOU WILL FORGET. I’M JUST HAPPY YOU ARE FREE.

SO SIT BACK AND ENJOY THIS DAY—ENJOY THIS MOMENT—TAKE A DEEP BREATH. YOUR LIFE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.

THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK.