Elyce Arons, co-founder and CEO of Frances Valentine, was the keynote speaker at LIM College’s 87th annual graduation ceremony held at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center on Sunday.
About 500 students received master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees at the event. Arons received the Distinguished Achievement Award as well as an honorary doctorate of commercial sciences degree at the ceremony.
Arons, who is a board member of the LIM Fashion Education Foundation, which provides scholarships and educational advancement to LIM College students, opened his speech by sharing the story of how, as a high school student, he was introduced to Earl Nightingale’s “The Strangest Secret,” which has the powerful message, “We become what we think.”
“Gradually, through our own thoughts, through the choices we make, the habits we form, and the actions we repeat, we become what we think. That idea has stayed with me throughout my life,” said Arons, who is also a co-founder of Kate Spade and wrote the memoir, “We Might Make It: My Best Friendship With Kate Spade.”
Among the pieces of advice Arons gave, he advised graduates to take risks early in their careers. “Move to an unfamiliar place. Try roles that interest you. Say ‘yes’ before you feel ready. Some risks won’t work out, but that’s OK. Regret usually comes not from trying and failing, but from never trying at all.”
In closing, he assured the graduates, “You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to decide what kind of person you want to be and take deliberate steps to make it happen every day. The world needs your creativity, your unique ideas, your determination, and your imagination.”
President Ron Marshall advised the students that they were graduating into a very different world from the past. “Be consistent and trustworthy amidst the noise, be a man amidst machines, and leave people and places stronger than when you arrived,” Marshall said.
Tamika Young, from LIM’s Class of 2005, now chief marketing and communications officer for Hinge, received the Maxwell F. Marcuse Award named after LIM’s founder. This is the college’s highest alumni award.
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