The Importance and Value of Relationships

Commencement was fantastic and I was so proud of the more than 1,300 students who received their degrees this past Monday.

As I was enjoying the celebration, one theme from our commencement speaker Peter McCormick and our wonderful student speakers jumped out at me. That theme was the importance and value of the relationships formed at the Carlson School.

I loved Peter's story of how the friend that he drove to commencement with in 2001 stood next to him on the podium of the New York Stock Exchange when ExactTarget rang the opening bell last year.

That story was such a wonderful reminder of the collaborative and collegial culture we have at the Carlson School. The concept that your classmate's success can equate to your success doesn't exist at a lot of other schools. I'm so pleased that it is at our core and that rather than compete with each other, Carlson School students and alumni push each other to be better.

As you take off this summer and for many of you begin careers, remember that the relationships you forged on campus can and will last the rest of your life.