NEWS
THE REMARKER MARCH 6, 2015 PAGE 3 4 OUT OF DEBT 5 RYAN PARKER
GRADUATION SPEAKER NAMED
Tackling Commencement Alum Sam Acho ’07 returns to campus to deliver the commencement address at Class of 2015 graduation.
MR. SPEAKER Joining a list that includes Nobel laureates and leaders of the free world, alum Sam Acho, a defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals, will address graduates at Commencement exercises May 22.
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he bitter January cold cannot stop him as he wreaks havoc upon the opposing team. Professional defensive end Sam Acho ’07 consistently weaves in and out of the Carolina Panthers’ offensive line throughout the tightly contested playoff game, which took place Jan. 3. He is unfazed by the pressure of an elimination game, and he is certainly unfazed by the towering giants on the opposing team. Acho’s fearless play was highlighted by his sack of All-Pro Quarterback Cam Newton and his forcing of a momentum shifting fumble late in the game. But his efforts were not enough to push his Arizona Cardinals to a playoff victory. Most players enter a relaxing offseason after their team has been eliminated from championship contention. Except Acho is not like most players. He has no offseason. Immediately after the playoff loss, he traded in the heavy football pads for heavy textbooks.
Instead of physically pushing himself to the limit at the Arizona Cardinals stadium, Acho decided to push himself academically at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. With four months until the NFL offseason ends, Acho hopes he can make significant strides toward earning his MBA at the university. Acho’s ambition and hard-working attitude are what led him to be chosen as this year’s commencement speaker. Acho has admirably created a balance between pursuing an NFL career and earning an MBA, which is even more astonishing considering how both pathways are very time-intensive. Acho’s unique combination of academic and athletic success has now made him the youngest commencement speaker ever to be selected. “I get a call from [Eugene McDermott Headmaster David] Dini, and he asked if I wanted to be the commencement speaker,” Acho said. “I was overwhelmed, I was shocked, I was honored, and that’s what I told him.” Acho immediately jumped on the opportunity to speak at the commencement ceremony in May. “He was kind of taken aback because he was like, ‘0h, I thought you would need a little more time to respond,’” Acho said. “My answer was, ‘That’s one of those things you put on your bucket list. It’d be a huge honor for me.’ I’m honored that [he] would even ask me, to even have my name in the conversation. [I said,] ‘I will be there and I can’t wait.’” Acho was selected to be the commencement speaker after a complicated process involving Dini, the senior leaders and class sponsors Amy Pool and Joe Milliet. “Every year the leadership of the senior class gets together with senior sponsors and they sit down with the headmaster to go through a list of candidates,” Dini said. “Generally, it is my understanding, as this is my first year selecting, there is a list of candidates that is maintained from year to year. In this year’s case, there was a discussion about a variety of candidates, but it was clear that there was unanimous desire to have Mr. Acho speak. We talked about his various qualities, what he has done at St. Mark’s and what he has done after St. Mark’s.” The fact that Acho was a young alumnus held a particular appeal for those who selected him as the commencement speaker. “We chose Acho because of his connection to St. Mark’s and how well he exemplifies what we as Marksmen want to be,” Senior Class President Nathan Ondracek said. “We all remember him around campus. We look up to him and all the things he’s done.” Ondracek believes that Acho can use his wide range of
experiences to deliver a memorable commencement speech. “He’s made it very well with his career as a professional football player,” Ondracek said. “He still goes to Nigeria every year for community service and he started a family. So I think he has a lot of perspectives that he can talk about. I think he has a lot of experience, which should allow him to have a really great speech. He will definitely be someone to remember, and people will be able to take something away from what he says and really take it to heart.” ini believes Acho is the perfect man to deliver the speech because he truly believes in and follows the core values of the school. “[ Sam and Emmanuel Acho ’08] are caring, empathetic people,” Dini said. “Obviously they also focus a lot of their energy on service. I think it’s certainly exciting that we have two brothers who play professional football, but I am most proud of the kind of men that they are. To have a man like Sam who embodies the positive values of the school, the values on the statue [on the quadrangle]. . .you’re not going to find anybody who is a stronger embodiment of those core values than Sam Acho.” Dini also mentions that Acho’s charisma and likability were fundamental to his as the commencement speaker. “Both of those young men are inspiring to be around,” Dini said. “Both of them are constantly smiling, constantly enthusiastic, constantly uplifting other people, finding the best in other people, looking for opportunities to contribute. Sam will be a great speaker, I am sure.” Acho sees the commencement as something he can put on his bucket list and looks forward to giving his speech. Acho also attributes much of his success to St. Mark’s. “The main message is reminding the Marksmen that St. Mark’s sets you up with a foundation to change the world, simple as that,” Acho said. “St. Mark’s means everything to me. I think that my time at St. Mark’s is the reason why I got a chance to go to the University of Texas, and not only to play football but also to be able to get into the Business Honors program at UT.” Dini is confident that Acho’s speech will have a large impact on members of the St. Mark’s community. “Hopefully it will be a great night,” Dini said. “I’m just excited to be able to welcome Sam and his family back to the campus. I am gratified that he will bring a message that I am sure will resonate here, add value and reinforce the things that make St. Mark’s. Obviously he is a guy that has achieved a tremendous amount, but he is grounded in his values, and he understands that these values are fundamentally important.” Acho also urges students to take advantage of their time at 10600 Preston Road, hoping his commencement speech will instruct students to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered to them. “When I was a student I took for granted all that St. Mark’s afforded me,” Acho said. “I took for granted the relationships and friendships. I took for granted the faculty and staff. When you’re in high school and middle school you don’t know any better, but as you get older you’ll start to see how much St. Mark’s helps in life.”
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40 YEARS OF COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS
Everyone from Presidents to business titans 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Lee Clark, executive producer of NEWSROOM Terry Sanford, president of Duke University Ronald Reagan, future president of the United States Bill Monroe, National Broadcasting Company Dr. Norman Hackerman, president of Rice University Bill Bradley, US Senator, New Jersey Dr. Frank E. Vandiver, president, North Texas State University William P. Clements, Jr., governor of Texas Dr. Paul M. Cubeta, director of the Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College Admiral Stansfield Turner, former director of the CIA Dr. Frederick Starr, president of Oberlin College David Alexander, president of Pomona Colege Dr. Henry Cisneros, mayor, City of San Antonio Dr. John V. Fleming, chairman of the Department of English, Princeton University Dr. Frank Press, president, National Academy of Sciences Dr. Ivar Giaever, professor of science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Dr. Walter E. Williams, The John M. Olin Distinguished Professor of Economics, George Mason University Dr. Charles D. Hollister, senior scientist, vice president for External Affairs, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Raymond G. H. Seitz, ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St. James Dr. Daniel Steiner, scholar-in-residence at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Dr. David E. Shi, president of Furman University Dr. William F. May, Cary M. Maguire University professor of ethics, SMU Peter John Dalglish, executive director of Youth Service Canada Dr. James Montoya, vice provost for Student Affairs, Stanford University William E. Strickland, president, CEO, Bidwell Training Center Greg Nobles ’66, chairman, Department of History, Technology, and Society at Georgia Tech University Mickey Edwards, The John Quincy Adams Lecturer in Legislative Politics, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Dr. Lewis Duncan, dean, Thayer School of Management, Dartmouth University Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Wade Davis, explorer-in-residence, National Geographic Society Roger T. Staubach, CEO of the Staubach Company and Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys Wallace B. Jefferson, chief justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Texas Thomas S. Adams, Cecil H. and Ida Green Master Teaching Chair in History, St. Mark’s School of Texas Dr. S. Alan Stern ’75, executive director of the Space Science & Engineering Division of the Southwest Research Institute Richard FIsher, president, Dallas Federal Reserve Board Steve Jurvetson ’85, managing director, Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson H. Ross Perot, Sr., founder, EDS, Perot Systems Gus Lee, Integware Mike Rawlings, mayor, City of Dallas Commander Rorke Denver, former Navy SEAL, author
STORY ANVIT REDDY, BRADFORD BECK | PHOTOS MASON SMITH | ILLUSTRATIONS ABHI THUMMALA