I want to start by thanking the faculty of "The School of Business and Public Management" for the wonderful learning experience, and the officials of "The George Washington University" for providing me the opportunity to address all of you today. This is a great honor, and I feel privileged to be the graduate speaker of our school.

Imagine for a moment, what would have happened to me and millions like me, if the United States of America were not a land of opportunities. I would not have had the opportunity to work for a Fortune-100 company; I would not have had the opportunity to study in one of the best schools; and I would not have had the opportunity to meet and interact with some wonderful people. Opportunities aside, after 9/11, I have been amazed by the resilience that this nation has shown in the face of crisis. It is a great experience to live in this country. It is in this country that one gets to realize the complete meaning of "freedom". It is in this country that one gets to realize his or her full potential. For the friendships that I have developed here, and for my association with GW, I thank you all and Mother America, I salute you with all my heart!

Qualities for successful leadership are the cornerstones if our societies, the eastern and western cultures, are to be connected. The first quality that defines a leader is the courage to dream; the courage to envision the goal, and the courage to set out strongly in its pursuit. History is full of leaders such as Gandhi, Kennedy and King, who dreamed the impossible and worked to achieve it. I invite all of you to be daring to stick your necks out, to be daring to dream the impossible, for history is but a product of the minds that dared to dream. What may be impossible today is a possibility waiting to be created.

As we embark on our new journey with the knowledge we gained from GW , we should remember not only what we learned, but how that knowledge was acquired. Therein lies the key to progress -- a key to achievement and a key to success. Let this graduation day mark the continuation, rather than the end, of the pursuit of learning and knowledge.

Our potential as leaders is infinite. When we make decisions as leaders in business, as leaders in politics, as leaders in our communities, and as leaders in our own homes, we should not forget the impact of our decisions on others. In the information age, let us not forget the importance of people, and what we all can achieve as a team. Sharing ourselves, being vulnerable, even exposing our weaknesses will strengthen others’ participation in our dreams.

Last, but not the least, let’s not forget the mantra of all great leaders –"Never give in and never give up!" There may be times, when we want to throw in the towel. It is precisely during those times that we should not quit. As Winston Churchill so eloquently put it,

If we dare to dream, if we continue the learning process, if we remain sensitive to people, and if we do not lose moral courage, I strongly believe that the world will be ours! There is a world out there that is waiting for our services, SO LET’S GET OUT THERE AND TAKE ACTION! I ask you to begin the journey in the right earnest. With due regards to the presidential poet, Robert Frost, I want to finish by saying,

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

May God bless US ALL AND GOD BLESS AMERICA! Thank you very much.

(Thanks a million to Colleen Tremblay, my collegue at Fannie Mae, who helped me in writing this speech.)