“Be willing to change your mind…because you will,”said Michael J. Dowling, president and chief executive officer of Northwell Health, the keynote speaker to the 2016 graduates of SUNY Old Westbury on Sunday, May 22nd. Dowling graduated from University College Cork, Ireland with an undergraduate degree and from Fordham University with a master’s degree. He served as a senior vice president at Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield before he joined Northwell Health in 1995. He also worked for twelve years in the New York State government, serving as State Director of Health, Education, and Human Services, as well as deputy secretary to the governor.
Dowling spoke to the grad
uates about maintaining resilience to failure to harvest the fruits of success. Speaking to the very nature of what it takes to make dreams come true, echoing, “Don’t ever say that something cannot be done,” Dowling said, looking out into the field of graduates with decorative caps and gowns, who gave applause with their wet hands from light rain. He encouraged the graduates to eradicate the word “can’t,” from their vocabulary. He warned that cultivating the word “can’t,” restrict ones-self and yields one to become a “bystander.”
Dowling urged the graduates to get involved with whatever their desire and dreams are, and to distinguish themselves by developing their network and managing those relationships. “It’s not who you know that’s important. What’s important is who knows you.” Dowling said wisely, as graduates erupted with applause. Friends and family, looked on the ceremony with newspapers on top of their heads, snapping photos through the misty rain as Dowling continued the commencement address.
Dowling spoke about his humble beginnings in Ireland with “no running water, bathrooms, electricity…mud floor and walls.” As a child, people said that he could never “get a degree,” and be successful. He left his home in Ireland at age fifteen to complete his degree and proved everyone wrong.
As Dowling wrapped up his speech, he ended with advice for charting unknown territory:
“You never allow your circumstance to mimic your potential. You never say because I came from there I cannot get over there. You never allow that to happen. You dream! You explore! You Discover! You be positive! You be optimistic. As the Irish author Oscar Wilde, once said ‘Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.’ The world is yours, congratulations.”
After a standing ovation, “America The Beautiful” was performed by an Old Westbury graduate, Sheila Washington.
President Calvin O. Butts and Michael Dowling
