Commencement speakers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth gave graduates words of encouragement for their futures and awarded them $1,000 in cash for their graduation funds.
“Every graduate who passes the stage will receive a $500 envelope to keep as a gift,” Robert Hale Jr., billionaire and CEO of Quincy-based Granite Telecommunications, said Thursday. ”, which excited the students. ” the university said.
A second $500 envelope was also given to each graduate to give to “a person in need, a charity or a cause close to home,” the school said.
Stuffing envelopes into two giant duffel bags he brought to the stage, Hale told the crowd that for him and his wife, “the greatest joy in life is the gift of giving.”
“These difficult times have heightened the need for sharing, caring and giving,” Hale said. “Our community and the world need our help now more than ever.”
According to a school spokesperson, a total of 1,200 graduates (40% of whom were first-year students) received two checks. he told Fox Business..
According to Forbes, Hale has an estimated net worth of $5.4 billion.
In the pouring rain, Hale spoke to students about his career, including how he lost $1 billion almost overnight, according to the university.
The school said Hale “used his own life as an example of resilience and perseverance and urged students not to let failure define them.”
