With all the willpower I can muster, I try to bring the sense of urgency in Dr. King’s words to my work today. I do this with an understanding that I still have no idea of what the future may bring. After all, I had no idea that I would not only get my medical degree but also a PhD in anthropology. I had no idea that I would help found an organization, Partners in Health, with my colleague Paul Farmer and eventually work in 10 countries around the world. I had no idea that my experience at Partners In Health would lead to my taking charge of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS efforts and starting a campaign to treat 3 million people by the year 2005. And with only minimal experience in academic administration, I became President of Dartmouth College. Finally, completely out of the blue, last year President Obama asked me to stand as a candidate to lead the World Bank Group.

Always with some trepidation, I embraced these unexpected opportunities, and now I find myself in one of the most interesting jobs in the world. The World Bank Group is an extraordinary organization, founded in the 1940’s to rebuild Europe after World War II. Over the 66 years of its existence, it has become the premier development institution in the world.

Just two weeks ago, our governing body endorsed a target to end extreme poverty by 2030 -- just 17 years from now. Our Governors, who are made up of the Ministers of Finance and Development of 188 member countries, also endorsed a goal to boost shared prosperity, so that the bottom 40% of income earners in our member states can share in economic growth. Our Governors also emphasized that prosperity must be shared with future generations, which means that we will be leaders in tackling climate change. Climate change has the potential to wipe out many of the development gains of the past decades and plunge people back into poverty.

By setting such bold targets for our organization and setting an expiration date for extreme poverty in the world, our Governors have given us the gift of focus and urgency. We will now use time to drive forward what we hope will be a signal achievement in human history.

In closing, my challenge to you is this: set bold goals, deliberately and consciously build your willpower, and use your time well. You are so fortunate. Northeastern’s co-op program and emphasis on experiential learning make this one of the most innovative educational models in the world today. With co-op options now in more than 70 countries, in all types of organizations, this University has given you an unexcelled preparation for global citizenship. As countries around the world, including the United States, search for ways to overhaul higher education, they’re looking to Northeastern’s example. Through your hard work in these past four years, you’ve acquired something exceptional: the foundations for critical and self-critical thinking, joined to the practical skills to solve tough problems in the real world.

These are extraordinary qualifications. They give you power -- and responsibility.

Like my father on the streets of Seoul -- though in a different way -- you face a world of uncertainty. Don’t fear that uncertainty. Embrace it. Use it. Uncertainty means that nothing is predetermined. Uncertainty means that the future is yours to shape -- with the force of your will, the force of your intellect, and the force of your compassion. Uncertainty is freedom. Take that freedom and run with it. And don’t forget to eat some noodles as you go. You’ll need the glucose.

Thank you very much, and congratulations to the graduating class.