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Hampden-Sydney College’s soon-to-be graduates were challenged on Saturday. Don’t focus on yourself, but on what you’re producing. Don’t be afraid to fail, because even in failure there are lessons we can learn. And above all, don’t be afraid to swing big, no matter the result. 

The messages were consistent throughout the May 10 commencement speeches, as students heard from Hampden-Sydney President Larry Stimpert, class valedictorian Benjamin Currin and Tigers alumn Rob Citrone. Graduation is just the start, they all cautioned. What happens next is up to you. 

And each of the speakers added to that along the way. President Stimpert pointed out that graduation is just a step in the journey to be a complete man. There’s still plenty of steps left to go, he told the Class of ‘25. He challenged each to do more than just be an intellectual. To use what they’ve learned to continue growing and developing. 

“Be honest, men of your word. Be firm but always kind. Be resolved but always open minded and ready to learn or gain a new perspective,” Stimpert said. “Focus not on yourself but on what you are producing. Focus not on your income but on what you are contributing.”  

Referencing a comment made by a president of Swarthmore College back in the 1960s, Stimpert pointed out that “intellect is not enough because intellect can be used for good or evil. Intellect needs character to guide it and personality to make it effective.”  

Valedictorian Benjamin Currin followed that up by reaching back to the late 1990s. In 1998, the band Semisonic had their first and only national hit with the song “Closing Time”. Part of the song says that “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” and that’s where graduates are right now, Currin said. One chapter of life has come to an end and it’s time for each person to figure out what the next one will look like. 

‘Here am I, send me’

Currin, a Keysville native and current Lunenburg County resident, graduated with a 4.0 in just three years of study. He also looked to the Bible for inspiration, calling on his fellow graduates to not be afraid to raise their hand, to take on challenging tasks. In Isaiah 6, the prophet sees a vision, where God is asking who He should send to speak to the children of Israel. In the vision, the prophet Isaiah speaks up. Isaiah 6:7, which Currin referenced, says “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Don’t be afraid of stepping forward or saying yes when opportunity comes, Currin challenged his classmates. 

The day’s final speaker echoed that message. Rob Citrone, aside from being both the founder of Discovery Capital and the second largest shareholder in the Pittsburgh Steelers, was himself a graduate of Hampden-Sydney, with the Class of ‘87. 

Life doesn’t require perfection, he told the graduates. It requires courage, the courage to take a leap before you know where you may land, the courage to bet on yourself. That’s something Citrone has done throughout his career

An industry-leading hedge fund manager, Citrone created Fidelity Investment’s Emerging Market Fixed Income and Currency Group and served as managing director and head of global emerging markets at Tiger Management, all in the first 11 years after graduating from Hampden-Sydney. 

“Swing big, be ready not just to fail, but to fail well,” Citrone said. “Learn, adapt, grow and try again. The world isn’t keeping score. It rewards resilience over perfection.”

Adapting to life’s circumstances, to changing times and technology, is how you keep moving, Citrone said. It’s how you grow and become successful. He pointed out that when he graduated, they were using TI-80 series calculators to do stock transactions. Now he’s talking to AI (artificial intelligence) creations like Grok and Perplexity to collect some data. 

Never stop learning, never stop moving forward, Citrone cautioned. Then he offered one final piece of advice. 

“Never think you’ve got it all figured out,” Citrone said. 

Hampden-Sydney Tiger earns this year’s Gammons Cup 

Also during graduation, Hampden-Sydney officials named this year’s winner of the Gammon Cup. It’s given in memory of Dr. Edgar G. Gammon, a Hampden-Sydney graduate of the Class of 1905, pastor of College Church from 1917 to 1923, and President of the College from 1939 to 1955. The award is handed out to the member of the graduating class who has best served the College through character, scholarship, and athletic ability.
And this year’s Gammon Cup went to someone very familiar to the Prince Edward community.
President Stimpert called him “a student of high character, scholarship, leadership and athleticism,” praising the English major. 

“This student has been an exemplar through his academic pursuits, leadership of others, leadership in diverse arenas, his passion for pursuing and applying the college’s mission to all his endeavors and through his devotion to and engagement with student life at the college,” Stimpert said. 

He was referring to this year’s award winner, Adam Brazil. 

The All-American fifth-year guard and third-year team captain also made the All-State First Team, after a season where he led the Tigers to an overall record of 23-6 and into the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championships Sweet 16 with his 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.
Stimpert praised Brazil’s work, saying he “has exemplified an amazing standard of excellence on and off the court.”