exercise 7.5 speech stories - graduation

exercise 7.5 speech stories - graduation

Kay McDavid challenged a class of 275 graduating seniors to think outside the box while enjoying life during her commencement speech at Barnaby College’s graduation ceremonies last Friday.

McDavid is a 1985 business graduate of Barnaby with an MBA from Harvard. She is now the president of Flyover Airlines, a small air carrier based in South Dakota that services more than 30 cities in the upper Midwest.  

“I was proud of what I had accomplished…at Barnaby,” McDavid said at the beginning of her speech, reminiscing on her years at the institution.

Barnaby College is a liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and founded in 1921. This year’s graduating class was the second largest in the school’s history.

McDavid described being fearful of not leaving her mark on the world post-graduation and how her thought processes had to change so she could become successful in her field.

“For me the change was…trying to see the world differently,” she said.

Last year Flyover was named “Small Airliner of the Year” by International Airlines Magazine for its new air rides on demand program. The program, AirTaxi, transports passengers immediately to their destinations for 20 percent more than standard fare. McDavid, who has been named Airline Executive of the Year, contributes her personal and corporate success to creative thinking.

“We’re building something new, and that’s the fun part,” she said.

She noted that in order to lead, one must seize the day and let other people follow suit. Her final comments to the graduating class encouraged students to “be creative, have fun…let this day be yours.”