Part 1

President Sands, esteemed faculty, proud parents, devoted friends, wet siblings… congratulations to all of you. But most importantly, congratulations to the Virginia Tech class of 2017!

I am honored to be with you and this San Francisco summer day feels just like home, just like it does with anything with "Tech" in its name.

I'm so delighted to be here with my friend, Regina Dugan. As you just heard, Regina used to run Darpa – for real! – and now she is developing breakthrough technologies at Facebook. In Hokie terms, she's our Bruce Smith. And she is just one of so many alums doing amazing things around the world.

Today, class of 2017, you join them. And I'm thrilled for you. And thrilled for all of the people who are here supporting you – the people who have pushed you, dried your tears and laughed with you from your first day to this day. Let's show them all of our thanks.

Commencement speeches can be pretty one-sided. The speaker – that's me – imparts her hard-earned wisdom… or at least tries to. The graduates – that's you – you sit in the rain today and listen like the thoughtful people you are. Then you hurl your caps in the air, hug your friends, let your parents take lots pictures of you – (post them on Instagram, just one idea) – and head off into your amazing lives… maybe swinging by Sharkey's for one last plate of wings before you go.

Today's going to be a little bit different because I'm not going to talk about something I know and you don't. I want to talk about something the Virginia Tech community knows all too well. Today, I want to talk about resilience.

This university is known for so many things. Your kindness and decency… your academic excellence… your deeply felt school spirit. I've spent time at a lot of time at colleges – yes for work, but also because I might want to relive my 20s just a little.

Few people talk about their school the way Hokies talk about Virginia Tech. There is so much pride and unity here — such a deep sense of identity, and I am going to prove it by asking you one simple question:

What's a Hokie? [I am! ]

That's it!