“That degree is a labor of love, and it’s so much more than that,” May said. “That piece of paper is a total for the whole of your experience at Auburn. It is a spiritual symbol of the the knowledge, the relationships, the character you gained over the last four or five or six years and the work you put in to gain it.”

May invited the new graduates to travel back in time with him as he imagined meeting himself the morning of his graduation to give himself the one piece of advice he wished he had known.

“This is what I need you to understand,” May said to his past self. “Yes Todd, people believe in you even when you don’t necessarily deserve it or believe in yourself. Remember that, and don’t squander it. Oh, and one more thing, in 2010 you will be very tempted to put a tattoo of a guy named Chizik on your chest -- don’t do it.”

May spoke of the persistence of the Auburn family, noting that the world outside of the university can be harsh. He encouraged graduates to lean on the communities around them and recognize their responsibility to give back.

“Don’t underestimate your place in the system,” May said, likening a community to the parts of a rocket. “If you don’t maximize the opportunity given to you, the impact extends into your community and the system around you.”