“Our family owes Dalhousie a great debt.”
That’s not necessarily what you’d expect to hear from Seymour Schulich, a man who made a transformative $20 million donation to Dalhousie's law school in 2009 — a school that now bears his name.
But those were indeed his words at this year’s spring convocation, where he was one of nine individuals to be awarded an honorary degree from Dalhousie.
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Lloyd Fraser, chair of the University Senate, called Schulich one of “Canada’s greatest philanthropists.” Schulich has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to students and universities across the country.
His generosity and sense of indebtedness to the university is in part a result of his family’s longstanding relationship with Dal. Together with his wife’s family, the Schulich lineage includes 11 Dal graduates over the last 100-plus years. Tanna Goldberg, his wife, is also a member of the family after whom the Computer Science Building is named.
Shulich also explains that earning a scholarship in his own studies made his education possible, a lesson he never forgot and vowed to pay forward. In his recently published book, Get Smarter: Life and Business Lessons, he says, “Business is a means to an end — namely, freedom to pursue the ultimate goal of trying to make the world a better place for your having been here for a very short while.”
In his speech, amongst many other anecdotal words of wisdom, he passed on some of the greatest advice he had received, which came from a psychologist, Dan Baker: “The only thing you can really control in life is your own behaviour.”
On this theme, Schulich encouraged the room of newly graduated lawyers to consider their own approaches and actions as they become professionals. Speaking of his own experience in the American business world, he advised: “The U.S. has 70 per cent of the world’s lawyers. It’s a very litigious place. Canada is kinder, gentler place. And let’s try to keep it this way.”
The value in taking risks
Another prolific member of Dal’s extended community, Ellen Costello, chief executive officer with BMO Financial Group, was also awarded an honorary degree, hers with the graduating Management Class of 2013.
Originally from Boston, Costello, named one of the 25 most powerful woman in banking, attended pilipiliÂţ» to complete her Master of Business Administration. She's been with BMO since 1983.
Dr. Fraser, in introducing Costello, recounted her impressive and inspiring professional life and experience. He highlighted her well recognized work and achievements within BMO and the banking world, as well as her focus on fostering diversity, mentoring those in her industry and participating in education-oriented fundraising.
Costello was filled with gratitude for her own honorary degree and huge congratulations for the graduating class. “I hope you’re optimistic and excited about what’s ahead of you,” she said. “Today, with your futures in front of you, I’d like to talk to you about the importance and value in taking risks.”
Costello shared more details of her professional history and how she took an unconventional route in achieving the many great things she has so far. She encouraged the graduates to take on work that's demanding, as they'll find it will also be the most rewarding.
“I was scared every single day,” said Costello, as she spoke about some of the demanding positions she took on earlier in her career. In particular, she told of her time spent working and living in Hong Kong, which challenged her in a huge number of ways and gave her so much more “courage to take on other roles and unique challenges.”
The many roles she's had have taught her plenty beyond the value of risks. Not least of all, she discussed the experiences that taught her to value and seek out diversity.
And she's about to embark on a new set of experiences: a week after receiving her honorary degree, she announced that she would be retiring from BMO.
Her parting words to the graduates were, “Embrace risk-taking… I promise you it won’t be a safe path. It won’t be easy. But it will be a challenging and satisfying one.”
Schulich and Costello were just two of the nine outstanding individuals to receive honorary degrees this spring. Check out our for words of wisdom from each honouree, with links to all of their ceremonies, archived online.