Leo Meehan III '75 Addresses Class of 2026 at Commencement

It’s nice to be with you. I want to thank Fr. Denning, Stonehill faculty, administrators, staff, family, friends and the Class of 2026. I’m glad to be here.

I’m Meehan. I’ve been over to the school many times and the school is referred to as Meehan. And it's really cool when you are Leo Meehan to have it called Meehan. So, yes, you're in front of Meehan. Not the building, but the man.

So let me tell you how I got the invitation to speak today at Stonehill College. I got a call from Father John. 

He said, “Hey, Leo, the College would like to offer you an honorary doctorate at the graduation.” 

And I said to him, “Oh, Father, that would be great. I have a mother that always wanted me to be a doctor. And I ended up being a lousy CEO and president. She was never happy with it. It's such a great honor. Yes, I'll be there. I'll get it.” 

He said, “Oh, great. And since you'll be up there, would you mind giving the Commencement speech at the same time?” 

“Whoa, that's an incoming, Father. In the world of executives, we watch out for questions like that. People don't get into a situation they can even ask us a question like that.”

But at any rate, I was honored. And I'm really, really happy to be here with you. And I have a chief of staff who's with me.

And I heard something a few weeks ago when we were trying to do some recruiting all over the country about you students, which I'm going to talk to you about. 

And I said to her, “I would like to talk to all the graduates of 2026 at this school.” And she looked at me, she goes, “Good luck with that.”

So, when I came down and I showed her this, I said, “Good luck with it. I'm going to be doing it. I get to talk to all of you.”

So that was good. At any rate, let me just start with a couple of things. Going back to this past winter, I came over to Stonehill campus in search of a little inspiration for this address.

I walked to this spot, and I imagined this day. Very quickly, the memories of my graduation in this spot on this day 51 years ago came to me. And I looked up, and I looked over to see Plymouth House right over there.

That's where I lived my last two years. Yeah, exactly. A and B, I moved both sides.
I lived there for two years. And I also, this was the academic building, Duffy Academics. I went there.

And for all these years I've been gone, I cannot understand how I missed that many classes because it was a big distance. Are you kidding me? They're next door to each other. 

And then our intramural football field is right under your feet, the grass. This is where it was at one time, where I played for the Swamp Rats. And in 1972, we won the Campus Championship. Yes, exactly. And back then, that was a big deal. You would have thought we won the Super Bowl. It was huge. 

And finally, I looked up at Meehan, and it hit me. I love this place. I mean, why wouldn't you, right? I get here, the building's named after me. I'm looking at it. It's so great. And it's getting better all the time. And the campus itself is so beautiful. The very first meeting I ever came on the Board of Directors in 2001 was the meeting to reroute the whole thing around the top rather than up the middle the way it was when I was a student. And I was really upset.

But thank God they did it. It's so much better the way it is. So, the school looks really, really classy.

And, you know, when you just look, it's such a fantasy land and so special. It's almost like a land like Oz. And that visit inspired me to do some work on the address.

So, let me start with this. This is how I began. You probably already know this, but I'm not a famous person. So, you didn't get a famous person for your Commencement. But what you did get was a Stonehill graduate, a legitimate Stonehill graduate who got my first job through Stonehill's Career Services. And I became the 14th employee of a tiny Brockton company.

And I worked hard and we grew W.B. Mason and we grew it to 4,000 employees, $2 billion in sales covering 17 states. And it's the only job I've ever had. So, it's pretty good.
So, let's talk about the Class of 2026. Who are you? Okay, you are one of our first graduating classes born in the information age. Your entire life has been shaped by digital communication, rapidly advancing technology and constant change.

Today, many workers find this combination of challenges to be a three-headed monster that they can't wrap their heads around. For you, it's just life, no problem. And just as you were in the midst of your formative years, you faced a pandemic, a global disruption.
You were forced to abandon a traditional education. You, who were only in your teens, carved a new path. The new path left you further advanced than the traditional path.

And today, the experience makes all the difference. It's a huge advantage moving forward that you have. Also, as you move into the workforce, more good news. You should be aware that 10,000 baby boomers are retiring every month. No, every week. No, every day. Every day, right now, 10,000 people are getting out of the workforce and retiring. And companies all over are asking the same question. Where do we find people who can help us manage what comes next? Whatever that may be.

And the last part's the most important because half the people out there running businesses don't even know what they need. So, what is their answer? Simple, it's you. You have evolved, you've adapted, and you are survivors.

You are the new pioneers that will lead us to future. What better way, what better group of people to turn to than you? You have all the key ingredients that organizations grow to need and thrive. And that's why, maybe a month and a half ago, I was surprised to hear from our recruiters everywhere that students in your class nationwide are all slow to look for job opportunities this year.

Students relate concerns over the economy, and artificial intelligence, the tariffs, all kinds of things. And what I'm saying is that there's no reason to wait. There is no reason to wait.
Above all, most importantly, do not leave Stonehill and go off the grid. There are people out there that are searching for you today. They are desperate for people like you that can come in and help them.

And if they can see you, they can hire you. If they can't see you, they can't. Some will say, in the disrupted years, you may have missed some things.

I'm sure you've heard this. But the resilience and flexibility that you gained are now far more valuable than anything you missed. You ended up advantaged. In today's world, let everybody know that. Wear it like a badge. You're advantaged.

And parents, W.B. Mason has been the largest customer for Stonehill College graduates for decades. I have interviewed thousands of Stonehill students, hired hundreds of graduates, and worked countless hours side-by-side with these alumni. I have seen firsthand what Stonehill College graduates become. And they make good things happen. They are gamechangers. They are a force to be dealt with.

And I have witnessed the fact that each class graduating from Stonehill has been better than the class before. And I am sure that is true with this group today. The Stonehill Class of 2026 will be the best we have ever produced.

So, I say this to everybody here. This is not a moment to sit back waiting for perfect certainty.

Because the truth is, nobody is completely certain where the age of AI will lead us. The information age itself may already be evolving into something entirely new. So, my advice is simple. Graduates, find a dream. Have the courage to step inside it now. Build a real plan around it. If you don't have a dream, it's perfectly fine. Move forward anyway. Take chances. Learn by doing. Because sometimes the dream only becomes visible once you are in motion. This is what happened to me when I was growing up.

The family next door had a son 11 years older than me. One day, he started to attend Stonehill College. He left a few years later. He graduated in 1965. He came home with confidence, direction, and a life. And to a kid like me, it looked exciting and full of possibility.

I remember seeing him leave each morning in his beautiful 1964 Ford Thunderbird sports car, wearing a suit and tie, carrying a briefcase, looking like a million dollars. And I remember thinking, “I want that life.”

So, one afternoon when I was 14, I finally asked him, “How do you do it?”

He said something simple: “I went to Stonehill College. I got a degree. I found a job in sales. I worked hard, and that job turned into a sales career. In all those things, you can do, Leo.” 

And I said, “Okay. Sounds great.” And that's how I found my dream. I believed him. I followed the exact plan to the point that I came to Stonehill. Why take a chance? I'd never been here before. 

The first day I came here to go into the boys' dorm, I had never been to Stonehill College. In fact, I didn't even know where it was. This is how much I'm following my plan. I get to the dorm, first dorm in on the right. My father says, “Where are we going?” I said, “I have no idea.” 

So, I pull over, and I get out, and I said to the guy who was there, “Where's the boys' dorm?” He said to me, “Right here. What are you looking for?” 
“The boys' dorm.” 

“Are you a freshman?” 

I said, “Yes.” 

He said, “And you've never been here before?” 

I said, “No, I haven't.”

He goes, “Where do you come from?” 

I said, “Quincy. 25 minutes away.” 

I got an application for Stonehill, filled it out, sent a check, and just hoped I’d get in. I didn't know anything about it except Joey went there, my next-door neighbor. That's all I knew, all I needed to know at the time. But I got in, thank God.

And that's sort of where it was in the 60s and in the early 70s. That's where it was. It wasn't 14 visitations to schools. That didn't exist yet. 

So, my advice to you is get a dream, make a plan, start moving while you still have your advantage. There are people right behind you who are also going to be born in the information age. They're going to have the same thing you do. Get out there and get established before they come up behind you. You don't need to compete with them. They're not out of here yet. Get going. 

Now, if you move ahead and your plan does not pan out, learn from it. Remember, you are a proven survivor. Remember, you navigated the pandemic when you were practically a child. Keep moving. It's only a matter of time before you figure it out and you will find a home. But through it all, I would like one caution. Stay authentic. Do not lose yourself to chasing titles, money or appearances. The people who build meaningful lives are people who remain grounded in who they truly are. 

So, let me finish with this. Since we're all gathered here on this beautiful day in our little Oz, why don't we go to the movie, The Wizard of Oz? The part where The Scarecrow wants to receive a brain from The Wizard because he doesn't think he's smart. I like this scene because it's kind of a Commencement itself. 

Let's pretend you, the Class of 2026, are Dorothy and her companions. And in this journey, you were standing in front of The Wizard, that's me, thinking that you are lacking the things you need to proceed, things that will prevent you from being successful in your future life. I am The Wizard and I am saying that you are lacking nothing. The things you think you are missing have been in you for many years.

You got these things from your parents and your family, your minds, and for the last four years, our professors have worked tirelessly to strengthen your minds, your hearts, your confidence, and your courage to shine and polish you up. And they are really good.
And the only thing that you are lacking is a diploma. And we are going to give that shortly, which means, like Dorothy, you can go home. 

Fifty-one years ago, I sat exactly where you were sitting. My life at Stonehill, like sand through an hourglass, was rapidly coming to an end like yours. I knew I'd miss my friends, my routines, everything I loved. I was emotional. I was thinking that this little world would always stay the same, but it doesn't stay the same. It shouldn't.

This place was never meant to hold you forever. It was always meant to prepare you to leave. The moment that you and your family have worked for, a whole life is here right now.

So, the new adventure is this. In a few hours, you'll pack your cars, you'll drive through the campus on the Yellow Brick Road, leaving for the final time. You'll pull past the guard shack and stop at the traffic lights.

A new game for you is about to begin. So, let's be fair and give a warning to them, all of them out there, about you. When the light turns green, I want you to yell “Three, two, one. Here I come.” 

Find your dream while you're still advantaged, Class of 2026. Go get them. The world awaits. Thank you.