Kerry Prather: Cultivating leaders for Indiana’s future–one grad at a time

May at Franklin College means the celebration of commencement—the culmination of our students’ educational journeys and the beginning of their professional careers. As each graduate crosses the stage, the pride on his or her face—and on the faces of their loved ones—tells a powerful story of determination, persistence and achievement. That pride also bodes well for the future of Indiana and beyond.

Given Indiana’s agricultural heritage and continued commitment to helping feed the world, it was fitting that the Class of 2025 was treated to wisdom and inspiration from a Hoosier farmer. Our commencement speaker was Kip Tom, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and chairman of Tom Farms. Tom reminded the graduates that solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems will come from right here in Indiana. They will come from people equipped with a strong work ethic, a global perspective and a sense of purpose.

Colleges and universities across the country have a responsibility to help students connect their education to meaningful action. Tom’s impressive career provided our graduates with a stellar example of such initiative. His advice rings true for them and all of us: “Learning and the quest for knowledge should never stop when you leave a classroom or after you get your degree. It should be a lifelong endeavor fueled by curiosity, a willingness to explore new ways of thinking through problems, cultivated and refined by the wisdom and experiences of others, and further propelled by the humility to admit we are never done growing and expanding our vision for what lies ahead.”

Tom spoke passionately about the worldwide crisis of food insecurity and sustainability and the need to feed a growing population with limited resources. These are global challenges that require innovative thinking that leads to local action. They are precisely the kinds of challenges facing today’s graduates who will become tomorrow’s leaders. Franklin College is proud to be producing those leaders.

Indiana’s future won’t be defined only by new jobs or new buildings. It will be defined by the people we educate today—the ones who will care enough, know enough and dare enough to shape it into what it should be. Tom concluded his address with this instruction: “Keep learning, not just from books or screens but from the people around you, from the setbacks you’ll face, from the risks you’ll take. Be proud of what you’ve achieved, but hungrier for what’s ahead. The world needs your ideas, your energy and your courage.”

We know that leadership in such a dynamic world will require more than simply knowledge acquired from lectures and demonstrated on exams. It requires experiential learning opportunities that are interdisciplinary and immersive. Our faculty challenge students to consider difficult questions from multiple perspectives and to seek local opportunities to apply critical analysis and creative problem-solving skills to economic and societal challenges.

We are producing the communicators who will shape policy, the scientists who will solve human and environmental problems, the business leaders who will drive innovation, and the educators who will inspire the next generation. As our students pursue internships, research projects and service opportunities, they are learning to be lifelong learners. They will heed the wisdom of Tom, who observed, “It is the continuous quest, the desire and the vision to find solutions, no matter how unattainable they may seem, that matters.”

I’ve had the privilege of watching this growth among our students firsthand. I’ve seen how the right blend of encouragement, expectation and opportunity transforms potential into purpose. And I’ve seen how young leaders discover, pursue and fulfill their true potential.

Leaders like Kip Tom—a Hoosier farmer who represented the U.S. government internationally in the quest to feed the hungry—inspire all of us to put our educations to their highest possible use. This class of Franklin College graduates is setting out to do exactly that.•

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Prather is president of Franklin College.