June 2005

Commencement 2004

Burch, Gooden Address Graduates at Adelphi’s Commencement Ceremonies

By Chip Cassano

Stephen A. Burch	Linda Gooden

Stephen A. Burch, president of the Atlantic Division of Comcast Cable, and Linda Gooden, president of Lockheed Martin Information Technology, gave the morning and afternoon keynote addresses, respectively, at UMUC’s Adelphi, Maryland, commencement ceremonies, May 14, 2005. This was the first year that UMUC held two stateside ceremonies to better accommodate its rapidly growing student body.

Burch, who overseas Comcast’s operations in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and the District of Columbia—a service sector with 4 million customers and more than 10,000 employees—surprised graduates by revealing that he had attended UMUC decades ago as a soldier in Vietnam, eventually earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and going on to study law at Gonzaga University.

In his keynote address, Burch voiced his belief in the importance of education, evidenced by his High Speed Education Connection initiative, through which Comcast provides free high-speed Internet access to more than 400 public and private schools throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

“There is strong evidence that there is a healthy return on the investment of a college education,” said Burch. “However, the rewards extend far beyond the monetary. The Carnegie Foundation has found that education tends to make people more open-minded, more cultured, and more rational, with a greater knowledge of world affairs and less prejudice [and] intolerance. . . . Your educational achievement supports a better life and a better world.”

Gooden, who heads up a fast-growing, 11,000-member company operating within Lockheed Martin’s information and technology services business area, earned her undergraduate degree in computer technology from Youngstown State University and went on to graduate study at San Diego State University. She drew attention to the advantages that UMUC graduates enjoy over the “traditional” college graduate who earns a degree at 21 or 22 years of age.

“This room represents potential plus experience,” said Gooden, who sits on numerous executive boards, including those of a number of area colleges and universities. “That’s a pretty powerful combination, when you think about it. . . . What is your potential? Do you dare to discover it? Who is watching and learning from you? Will one of you be called upon for a greater mission, one for the history books? If so, will you accept it? Our challenges and obstacles aren’t always in the form of oceans or mountain ranges or even the Earth’s gravitational fields. They are often much more personal, yet they receive and need the same bravery and strength.”

Both Burch and Gooden received honorary Doctor of Public Service degrees from UMUC in recognition of their service to the community and to higher education.