As a stepparent to twins that concluded their university education this Summer, I had the privilege of attending two graduations, one at Duke University, and one at the University of Virginia (UVA). Both were executed phenomenally, but the takeaways were quite different. The first at Duke featured a commencement speech by Amy Hood, the CFO at Microsoft, and a Duke alumnus. If you haven’t listened to the speech, I strongly recommend checking it out on YouTube. If you have, you get why. Beyond the power in Amy’s words, my other takeaway is that there is something to be said for a speaker that attended the school to which they are addressing. They’ve walked in the shoes of the audience, and that allows them to make a stronger emotional connection and creates a sense of relevance and relatability.
The second ceremony at UVA provided a very different takeaway. With 2,200 students walking, and close to 10,000 loved ones watching, how do you spot your graduate? A genius idea created a few years ago has students carry balloons that reflect their personalities, interests and dreams. What came next really got my attention. Prior to students taking their seats, they handed their balloons to an army of volunteers, that delivered the balloons to UVA Children’s Hospital. And then came the idea!
So, in March 2027, the Ideba team will replicate this gesture during our QBR, visiting UCLA Children’s Hospital in the process. Putting our own twist on the balloon donation, we’re also using the UCLA Children’s website to fulfill other needs such as Lego sets, books, toys and more. Develop the model, and we can repeat this in other cities where we host QBR’s, evolving gifts each time to meet the unique needs of the hospital.
Thank you to UVA for making a difference for the kids at UVA Children’s Hospital, and for the inspiration for others to do the same.
My question to anyone reading this Blog post. Where do you find your inspiration for giving back? And how are you developing a heart for others? Would love to hear stories from others, and who knows… we might even adapt one or two as a part of future efforts to give back.
David Sly – President
