Own up to mistakes, Young tells UVSC grads

OREM — People must learn the importance of "ultimate accountability at the moments it (is) needed," Pro Football Hall of Fame member Steve Young said Friday in a commencement address at Utah Valley State College.

Young spoke to some 3,721 students who were receiving associate's and bachelor's degrees and college certifications as part of the schools largest graduating class to date.

Young, along with philanthropists Boyd and Jill Smith, of Palo Alto, Calif., received honorary degrees.

Young smiled as university officials read the proclamation for his honorary degree before speaking about the need to own up to one's mistakes.

"We're all great at ducking and mitigating," said Young, who played college football at nearby Brigham Young University and also earned a law degree there during the off-seasons in his professional career.

He recalled several times when he "screwed up" as the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and how his teammates were disappointed in him.

"They wanted me to say, 'Hey, I screwed up.' It was in my hands and now it's in their hands," Young said, noting that taking responsibility and then following through with a plan to remedy the situation made him a leader of the team.

Young used football as a metaphor as he recalled the difficulty he had seeing beyond the larger defensive football players rushing him when he needed to pass the ball to the receiver. He said he had to learn to "throw blind."

"I hope you'll find those opportunities to believe in your gut."

Student body president Jim Bassi, who graduated with a bachelor's in integrated studies, noted how the 2005 class has watched the world change since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

UVSC has prepared the graduates to adapt with the changing world, he said.

"If we don't change, the world will leave us behind and we'll be left to play catch-up," Bassi said.

More than 1,300 students received bachelor's degrees, including 27-year-old Patrick Jaramillo, who also majored in integrated studies, a degree in which students can combine different disciplines — business management and psychology, in his case.

Jaramillo worked full-time and attended school part-time; with graduation, his wife and daughter will be able to spend more time with him.

"I've been in school about seven years," he said.