Lisa Cook, Speech: Commencement Address

Monetary policy and the economy were not talked about. –

“It is an honor to be invited to speak at commencement. An incredible, terrifying honor. I would be completely comfortable teaching an economics class. I don’t know that anyone else would be thrilled, but I would be in my comfort zone. But this occasion calls for more—words of wisdom, hard-earned life advice, moments of gravity and levity. I will let you in on an industry secret: No one has ever, in the pursuit of great oratory, said, “This is a job for an economist!”

“In the end, I realized that the most important lessons I have learned were exemplified by my family’s story—both my biological family and my MSU family. They embody the essential characteristics of life lived to its fullest: education, community, and hope.”