Think Big, Care Deeply – on Your Journey
May 10th, 2025 Commencement Address - Emerson Fullwood
Watch Emerson Fullwood's Speech
In a powerful and personal address, Emerson Fullwood challenged Roberts Wesleyan University's Class of 2025 to Think Big and Care Deeply as they step into a complex and fast-changing world.
Watch the video to hear the full spech.
The following is an abbreviated version of the speech. It has been lightly edited for clarity and flow.
Graduates, you have already achieved the remarkable.
Members of the Class of 2025, you have been shaped by factors not faced by previous generations.
You completed your high school and college education in the COVID and post-COVID era. As a result, you became experts in remote learning and problem-solving. You persisted through the isolation of lockdowns and emerged with a deep appreciation for human connection. You adapted with grace.
Yours is a resilient generation that knows uniquely the value of THINKING BIG, while CARING DEEPLY.
Let’s talk about THINKING BIG.
You are graduating into a world rife with staggering challenges: agonizing wars, a new global economic order, the existential threat of climate change, and turbulent political forces.
Thinking big is the differentiator that has helped to resolve the most complex challenges throughout human history. This world requires new bold leaders who walk with their heads up and their hearts open.
Leaders like you.
You’ll have at your disposal the most advanced tools and technologies with which to address those challenges.
These are but a few of the innovations that will be at your disposal.
Quantum computing and AI
Advances in data processing and encryption will give us the ability to process vast datasets at unparalleled speed, spotting insights and patterns that human analysts might miss.
AI will be our partner, helping humans to better understand and save our planet, and to develop remarkable new approaches to healthcare. And AI will also take our creativity to a new level.Predictive analytics and biotechnology
New insights in biotechnology are helping us address food insecurity and chronic illness. New neurotechnology treatments and thought-controlled prosthetics are restoring mobility, independence, and hope.Clean energy and climate solutions
Gene-editing tools like CRISPR are providing cures for genetic diseases, allowing us to grow drought-resistant, high-yield crops, and combat climate change. Microreactors and geothermal energy solutions will enable energy storage and carbon capture that will help rescue our planet.
These instruments will open our minds to more expansive, more creative ideas. And, for sure, they also create concerns if used unethically and immorally. They have implications for employment, privacy, security and inherent bias.
The future is unmistakably bright, but it will be up to us to ensure that technology is shaped and regulated responsibly so that these breakthroughs benefit all of humanity. With your intellect, education, and Christ-centered values, you are exactly what’s needed to help us resolve those thorny issues.
Life has always been a purposeful journey.
A pathway forged of carefully considered risks and rewards. Don’t worry. You don’t have to have it all figured out in advance—NONE of us do!
In fact, you want to leave yourself the flexibility to seize the unplanned opportunities that come seemingly out of left field. The goal is to develop the skills to see all the options and the confidence to accept risk.
Embrace the discomfort that’s part of personal growth. It will help you develop the intellectual curiosity, humility, resilience, and confidence it takes to truly THINK BIG.
From my own experience, I assure you those qualities aren’t acquired overnight. While today is all about YOU, I will briefly share an illustration from my own career journey.
Early in my career at Xerox, my hard work caught the eye of my bosses and colleagues. I was comfortable and confident in my daily routine. One day, I was approached about taking over the leadership of a start-up division that had been fraught with problems and setbacks, which had high potential for failure. It was a daunting challenge from left field.
I agonized over the offer. Could I turn this around? Could I find the right people to help? Would the company have the patience to stick it out until recovery? If I failed, would I ever be able to recover my professional credibility?
After an agonizing few weeks and many pointed discussions, I agreed.
For the next few years, I never worked harder. And truthfully, there were setbacks along the way to the turnaround. But in the end, this experience defined me as someone who could take a global business opportunity and make it successful.
The setbacks merely opened my eyes to possibilities I could never have fathomed. The experience honed my ability to believe in myself, to be professionally agile, to scale up my expectations. And, within the company, success earned me the amusing moniker of “Mr. Fix-it.” Having the guts to travel the more difficult road opened doors to pathways I never imagined.
I believe that one of the most important skills you can hone is the ability to embrace the discomfort that is necessary for growth. Seek the challenge! Don’t allow yourselves to become comfortable or complacent. Learn to trust your own abilities. When facing a fork in the road, be bold enough to accept the more difficult—and possibly more rewarding—path. THINK BIG.
However, know that living a significant life is more important than driving for success. To complement THINKING BIG, you must CARE DEEPLY. And whether it is innovating the next big idea or finding meaningful ways to address world hunger or bring world peace, CARING DEEPLY will be the currency that sustains you and all of us for generations to come. Caring IS the north star that has powered all of history’s great innovations.
Alone, you will accomplish very little.
In fact, nearly all of my success is owed to my faith, family, and to the incredible colleagues who worked with me. I recognized my debt to the colleagues who I convinced to take a leap of faith to join me in the risky turnaround venture. I celebrated their ideas, especially when they differed from mine.
The bedrock of my success as a corporate leader was an absolute commitment to teamwork. Any lack of progress was always the result of isolation and disjointedness. So, whatever the problem was, the team owned and solved it together.
As a leader, it’s not enough to simply have “an eye for talent.” Good leaders nurture the skills and aspirations of others. They need to care deeply about customers, colleagues, and even complete strangers. They choose those who think and look different than themselves!
In work and in life, I urge you to embrace the diversity that comes from different backgrounds and lived experiences. Listen intently to the views and ideas of others. Lead with empathy, kindness, and compassion. Find common ground. Be of service to others. On these things, your Christ-centered faith gives you the edge. Use it!
Never lose sight of the Christian values that have guided your education and your life.
Care deeply for those who accompany you on this journey for they will likely determine your success. Remember, it is our connection to others, to important causes, that truly bring satisfaction to our lives. In the end, success is measured not by the size of our homes or stock portfolios, but by how we made the world better.
You will be limited only by the bounds of your own imagination. You are invited to think big!
Yes, the challenges are immense. So let the words of Matthew 19:26 be your guide: “But, with God all things are possible.”
With your already-proven resilience, intellect, and Christ- centered character, I have full confidence that you will imagine and create a world as it should be—more compassionate, more equal, more sustainable.
Congratulations, Class of 2025. Welcome to the journey! We’ve been waiting for you!
About the author
Emerson Fullwood
Emerson Fullwood is a retired Corporate Vice President of Xerox Corporation and a current member of the Board of Trustees at Roberts Wesleyan University. He brings years of executive leadership experience and a deep commitment to education, service, and ethical leadership.
About the author
Roberts Wesleyan University
As a community of learners committed to historic Christianity, Roberts Wesleyan University seeks to prepare thoughtful, spiritually mature, service-oriented people who will help transform society.
We are a private Christian university in Rochester, New York, offering over 80 undergraduate and graduate programs.
As the only NCAA Division II institution in the region and member of the East Coast Conference, Roberts is committed to academic excellence, spiritual formation, and competitive athletics.