Carey Business School’s summer graduation ceremony celebrates triumph and change

When Julia Pak was a young girl, her father was fond of saying, “The only constant in life is change.” It was a quote that reflected Pak’s experience growing up in a military family and continuously moving from place to place. She recounted the quote, which originated with the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, during her address to graduates of the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School on August 3.

“Right as we were adjusted to our environment, we must leave what has become our new normal,” Pak told the assembled graduates and their families. “As we walk our final steps of our Carey journey and choose among the unfamiliar yet exciting future, let's embrace it with unwavering confidence and boundless curiosity for one less anxious phone call to our family and friends as after all, change is the only constant in life.”

In his remarks, Carey Dean Alex Triantis also touched on the theme of the change for a class of graduates entering a world grappling with AI and other disruptive technologies.

“As you enter a ew phase of your lives and careers, I have no doubt that many of you will be at the forefront of change and helping to build a tomorrow full of potential and promise,” he said. “You now have a wealth of business knowledge, new skills, and memorable experiences to meet the challenges ahead.”

Chaomei Chen, a Johns Hopkins University trustee and leader in the financial risk management industry, provided the keynote address to the graduates. Chen spent more than 30 years in leadership roles with LendingClub, JPMorgan Chase, PNC National Bank, and other financial institutions. Her take on change was to embrace opportunity and take chances. In her address, she recounted an early time in her career when she seized an opportunity to take charge.

“In my experience, our journey is full of chances,” she said. “In fact, the excitement of life lies in its uncertainty, risk, and trade-offs at each turning point. So, I encourage you to keep your curiosity, stay open-minded, be willing to try, take risks, and push boundaries.”

Claudia DeCarlo, secretary of the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association and a 2015 Carey graduate, invited graduates to stay connected with the school and university as they leave for new experiences.

Nearly 700 graduates and their families participated in Carey’s graduation held at Baltimore’s Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

In addition to Pak, Chen, DeCarlo, and Dean Triantis, graduates also heard from Vice Dean Goker Aydin and Professor Kevin Frick.