Honoring the Influential Women Who Inspire Us Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at 11:25 a.m.

To our 杰克逊维尔大学 community:

As we approach the final days of March, Women’s 历史 Month, and we celebrate tonight the naming of our outstanding JU Women of the Year, I’ve spent some time reflecting on the women who influenced, guided and enriched my own life.

Naturally, my mother first came to mind, as I’m sure it does for most people. 全球网络赌博平台欠 an enormous debt to the women who brought us into this world and prepared us to face 独自生活.

Then my thoughts shifted to two people you may have heard me mention, because they were instrumental leaders in my career -- Eastman Kodak CIO Kathy Hudson and PepsiCo 首席执行官卢英德. These are two incredibly intelligent, effective business executives 有着前所未有的职业道德. In my eyes, there’s no question they established a blueprint of success for me in business. 而且他们都是女性.

I learned a great deal from working alongside such resourceful, innovative women. In particular, I learned the importance of building a talented team of people with 不同的观点. We need women in leadership roles contributing their voices and viewpoints, and I’m proud that 杰克逊维尔大学 is building a culture of 强大的女性领导者. 它使全球网络赌博平台成为一个更好的机构.

While I’m honored to call Kathy and Indra colleagues and friends, the two women who’ve had by far the most impact on my life are my wife and daughter.

Stephanie and I chose to raise our family in an idyllic Upstate New York town aptly named Fairport, where neighbors greeted each other during daily strolls down the lighted sidewalks of inviting suburban streets. 那时还没有手机. 全球网络赌博平台在那里茁壮成长 before selfies and social media and other inventions that shape our culture and our 今天的育儿，无论好坏.

I’m thankful we didn’t have to overcome those challenges, but I doubt it would have 重要的多. We felt right away that Melanie was remarkable. 在婴幼儿时期， she was sharp – incredibly aware of the world around her and drawn to engage with it. 她非常阳光. People couldn’t help but smile around her, and she never failed to see the upside in all situations. It was clear she had unbridled potential 和弹性.

And I could not have chosen a better partner to raise a family. 实际上等于 every way, Stephanie and I committed ourselves full-on to parenting – pouring everything we had into creating a supportive, loving, and stimulating environment for our children 不仅要成长，还要茁壮成长. 

Melanie was our first-born and our earliest, greatest project. 全球网络赌博平台是故意的 in our parenting choices, and we never limited her ambition because of her gender. Our family motto: talent, attitude and hard work will win. 你的职业道德，性格 and skills -- these are the values that matter most. 你可以定义你的路径和 确定你的幸福.

We encouraged her to set aside previous notions of a woman’s place. 忽略限制 and barriers imposed by an unimaginative segment of society with out-of-touch ideals. We encouraged, and she earned, the same opportunities as any of her contemporaries, 男性或女性.

When she was in middle school, Melanie decided she 想要 to play baseball. 不是垒球 ——棒球. So we enrolled her in a Philadelphia Phillies baseball camp. 她很激动 to hit the diamond, and when I dropped her off the first day, I decided to stay and 看. It never occurred to me that all the players would be boys until I sat down in the stands and realized Melanie and the one friend she brought with her were the 只有女孩在球场上. 但她一点也不介意. 事实上，她似乎受到了启发， and later stroked a base hit off a talented pitcher who went on to earn a scholarship 去亚利桑那州立大学打球.

She went up against the boys, not because she 想要 to prove something, but because 她可以. She believed in her own ability and was willing to work hard for what she 想要. From childhood to college and even now, that’s how she approaches everything. 努力工作. 磨砺你的才能. 保持你的正直. 然后是那些看不见的限制 – those supposed glass ceilings – can be dented and eventually shattered. 

She went on to carve her own path and found a perfect fit at Wake Forest, where she continued to break barriers by achieving Phi Beta Kappa recognition, while also launching a varsity club sports program for women. For me, Melanie embodies the hope I have for every 杰克逊维尔大学 student.

I want our campus to be the place where you find your fit, blaze your trail, break your barriers – simply because you can and you’re able. 因为你相信自己 你工作很努力. Because your gender isn’t an obstacle to overcome. 它没有定义 你，伤害你或者阻碍你. And it’s not what will benefit others, nor what people 会记得你. They’ll remember the impact you have, the values you live 以及你激励他人的方式.

With thanks to all the talented and optimistic women who are helping make Jacksonville 大学更好，

蒂姆成本
总统
杰克逊维尔大学
1981届毕业生