It’s not often that we read an uplifting new story in these dark times. But today is an exception. Students at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s convocation ceremony this year were pleasantly surprised by a sizable gift given to each of them by the commencement speaker, though this generosity came with a condition: they were asked to spread it around.
Robert Hale Jr., the founder and CEO of Granite Telecommunications and co-owner of the Boston Celtics, whose net worth is around $5.4 billion, according to Forbes, gifted roughly 1,200 graduating students a sum of $1,000 as they walked at their graduation ceremony on May 16th.
Hale, who received the college’s Chancellor’s Medal for his philanthropic work at the commencement, told each graduate they would receive two envelopes with $500 in them, one being a gift for them, and the other meant to be given to someone they know that is in need or to a charity.
Prior to giving out the money, Hale shared a personal story recounting how he almost lost $1 billion in the span of one night. The point he wished to make was to encourage the graduates to not allow failure to define them.
He then proceeded to share the greatest lesson that he and his wife had learned in life. “The greatest joys we’ve had in our life have been the gift of giving,” Hale said during the commencement speech.
“We want to give you two gifts,” said Hale. “The first is our gift to you, the second is the gift of giving.”
“These trying times have heightened the need for sharing, caring, and giving. Our community and our world need help now more than ever.”
Thanks to the cash-filled envelopes that the students picked up along with their diplomas, UMass Dartmouth’s graduating class will be entering the professional world with some extra money to have and to give.
