Name: Ma. Mikaela Andrea A.

Franco
Subject: MPA – Organization and Management

STEVE JOBS COMMENCEMENT SPEECH AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Steve Jobs delivered a motivational speech at the Stanford University

commencement on June 14, 2005. Steeve Jobs has a powerful capacity for
persuasion. His main thesis is that success may be achieved by doing what one
loves. He engages the audience by sharing anecdotes from his own life and drawing
on personal experiences. His arguments are strengthened by his use of and appeals
to the audience's ethos, logos, and pathos throughout the speech.

The well-known creator of Apple and Pixar, Steve Jobs, spoke at the Stanford
University commencement for the graduating class and presented the three tales
that influenced both his success and failure in life. The first was about how an
adoptive youngster left college early and later enrolled in a calligraphy program,
which resulted in the development of the renowned Macintosh Laptops and one of
their distinguishing features. The second was about how he was dismissed from the
same business he founded in his garage, which inspired him to found NeXt and one
of the finest animation studios, Pixar, which made movies that both kids and adults
adored. Third, the doctor told him he had pancreatic cancer and that he only had a
few days to live, advising him to return home and settle his affairs. He got a biopsy
later that day, during which they learned that the disease was a relatively uncommon
type of pancreatic cancer that could be treated surgically. He then finished the
operation. He became aware of his want to live because to this. Nobody wants to
pass away. Even those in Heaven do not desire death in order to enter that place.

The last few sentences of his lecture, "Have the bravery to follow your heart and
instincts," particularly stood out to me. They seem to already be aware of who you
really want to be. "Everything else is secondary," said Steve Jobs, who was unaware
of the consequences of his poor choices. The risk was simply taken, and everything
else followed. He simply knew that if he pursued what he had always loved, he
would never look back on the decision he had made. The fact that Steve Jobs
added, "I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever
gone to a college graduation," made me feel a little more significant and successful
as well.

My life is not nearly as close with Steve Jobs. But like everyone else, I also have my
own share of ups and downs. My own struggles before I was able to stand where I
am today. From growing up in a broken home, I was left in the care of my aunt and
grandparents from my mother’s side as she was forced to work abroad to be able to
provide for me and give me a comfortable life. Yes, in my early years I was
pampered but it did not stay that way. My mother got diagnosed with a heart disease
that forced her to resign from her work abroad. It was a good thing she had ample
savings that was enough for the both of us. But, she still applied and worked different
jobs locally as she is a single mother raising a high school student.

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As I watch my mother go through a hard time just to provide food for our table, I too
did my best to not be a burden to her. It wade me strive even harder in school to be
able to avail scholarship grants that would be highly beneficial to me and my family. I
can even recall the time my mother urged me to take a different course since
Engineering did not fit the budget. That it was too expensive for us. I remember I
cried so hard as I felt like my dream was being taken away from me. That having no
money—poverty, got in the way of what I wanted to be. Luckily, I was one of the
chosen scholars of the Department of Science and Technology which shouldered
100% of my tuition fees, provided me a monthly stipend and also gave
miscellaneous allowances that made my college life a lot more easier for both me
and my mother. To say the least, I was able to become self-sufficient at the age of
16 and on set to becoming something I wanted to be. I struggled but survived in
college as I did enjoy my course. With hard work and determination, I was able to
graduate and pass the board examination on my first take. I was able to secure a job
at a local construction firm. But as I was still very young, I’ve been cheated off of the
right wage and I settled for the bare minimum. That’s why I looked for a different
opportunity and I was able to work in the government for five years now.

I'm aware that there will be more difficulties, setbacks, and difficult times ahead, but
I'll never forget my journey and the obstacles I overcame. There is no reason to give
up right now, and we must never stop fighting. No matter how challenging the day
may be, you should always have a reason to believe that the Lord will never position
you in a situation from which you will never be able to recover. Take a leap of faith
every time. I am very thankful for I have accomplished. That through hard work and
determination, I am able to become successful doing something that I am passionate
about. As Steve Jobs had said, “Always have the courage to follow your heart and
intuition”. Hearing him say this made me feel thankful that I chose this path. That I
did not give up. An that is the key point of his speech. Never to give up on your
passion as it will guide you to your happiness and that is success.

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