Rev. David O’Connell
Save the visual map
Download or open the generated poster as a standalone PNG.
Rev. David O'Connell at Niagara, 2008
A commencement address about life after Niagara, self-belief, respect, change, service, and faith-filled purpose.
Speech arc
- 01Niagara University
Opening move
- 02Class of 2008
Speech beat
- 03Life After Niagara
Speech beat
- 04Believe in yourself
Speech beat
- 05Be yourself
Speech beat
- 06Respect others
Speech beat
- 07Put others first
Speech beat
- 08Go with God
Final charge
Confidence: Belief starts the life after Niagara
O'Connell turns from ceremony to practical rules for graduates, beginning with the need to trust their capacity before doubts shrink their ambitions.
Doubt
He quotes Shakespeare to frame doubt as a force that can steal good before a person attempts it.
Dreams
The suitcase of hopes and dreams graduates brought to Niagara becomes fuel for action after commencement.
Choice
Self-belief is not vanity; it is the first condition for doing something worthwhile.
O'Connell turns from ceremony to practical rules for graduates, beginning with the need to trust their capacity before doubts shrink their ambitions.
Character: Be the person Niagara helped form
The speech asks graduates to become themselves with integrity, not merely collect credentials or imitate other people's paths.
Formation
College is treated as a place where values, confidence, and vocation mature together.
Identity
Graduates are charged to carry forward the person they have become.
Road
The next stage is open, but it should be walked with a grounded sense of self.
The speech asks graduates to become themselves with integrity, not merely collect credentials or imitate other people's paths.
Community: Respect makes public life livable
Courtesy, listening, and dignity become daily disciplines for sustaining relationships beyond campus.
Listening
Respect means hearing others before speaking over them.
Dignity
The address treats each person as worthy of care and attention.
Practice
Respect is shown through repeated habits rather than ceremonial words.
Courtesy, listening, and dignity become daily disciplines for sustaining relationships beyond campus.
• Key takeaways •
Believe before doubts decide
Connects to self-belief.
Become yourself with integrity
Connects to service.
Respect every person
Connects to respect.
Let education serve others
Connects to change.
Walk forward with faith
Connects to faith.
Closing charge
The Vincentian frame gives the address its moral center: use what Niagara gave you in ways that answer the needs of others.
Education turns outward when others come first
Need
Graduates are asked to notice the needs around them.
Gift
Time, skill, and attention become resources for service.
Faith
The closing blessing connects confidence and service to spiritual purpose.
The Vincentian frame gives the address its moral center: use what Niagara gave you in ways that answer the needs of others.
Visual speech maps
Browse more visual maps from Niagara University or continue with related mapped speeches below.
Transcript
The previously catalogued transcript link is no longer live and is queued for re-sourcing.
Machine transcript available for archive analysis; it is unverified and may contain transcription errors. Machine transcript source ->
Provenance
BROKEN transcript link (checked 2026-06-26): returns 404 Not Found. Provenance: Imported from NPR commencement archive
NPR archive last updated in 2015; destination availability has not been exhaustively rechecked | Transcript URL dead (returns 404 Not Found); no video fallback — needs re-sourcing
Explore this speech
Find the next thread through the archive
Themes in this address
No canonical themes have been assigned yet.
Speeches like this one
Search all speeches ->