Rollins exhorts UVSC grads

OREM — While moral relativism may feel comfortable, people need to choose between right and wrong, former Dell Inc. CEO Kevin Rollins told Utah Valley State College graduates Friday.

"It's most important without thinking too far into the future, there will come a day when accomplishments, titles, honors will be swept into the twilight of the past, and then it's important to know who you are, who you are at the core, what you represented, what you stood for," Rollins said.

Rollins, an Orem High and Brigham Young University graduate, was the commencement speaker for UVSC's Class of 2007. It is believed to be his first speech since the announcement that he will officially leave the company May 4.

Company founder Michael Dell chose Rollins to lead the computer giant in 2004, but the company suffered a series of setbacks — profits dropped, laptop computer batteries were recalled and federal prosecutors have investigated the company's accounting since 2004 — and in February, Rollins stepped down from the chief executive officer position.

Nevertheless, he told students to dream big.

"I've never envisioned a ceiling ... and I never let fear of failure stand in the way, even though I've failed many times," Rollins said.

The 7,000-seat McKay Events center was packed with families of graduates. Some 3,000 students received diplomas from the 23,000-student college.

It was a happy day for Tokyo native Sho Takabayashi, his wife and daughter. Takabayashi received a degree in business.

"I'm going to work for a Japanese shipping company" in Orem, he said. "I'm going to be a logistics manager."

Speakers referenced UVSC's pending university status.

"What an incredible year to be on campus," said student body president Andrew Stone. "You all are the first unofficial — we have to be careful when using this ... unofficial graduates of Utah Valley University and I congratulate you for that."

On Feb. 27, the state Legislature agreed to give the school $8 million in additional funding and to allow the school to offer master's degrees beginning July 1, 2008. The school will be renamed Utah Valley University.

When UVSC becomes a university, alumni can get new diplomas printed with the name Utah Valley University.