William Pesce '73 Encourages Grads: "Live the Life You've Imagined"

William Pesce, the retired president and CEO of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and a 1973 graduate of William Paterson, told the nearly 2,600 graduates who earned degrees at the University’s 2015 Commencement ceremony on May 13 to “live the life you’ve imagined.”

Pesce, the son of a plumber and the first in his family to graduate from college, shared his personal journey with the graduates who filled the Prudential Center in Newark. “Education changes lives,” said Pesce, who noted how he worked his way through school and wondered whether he belonged in college. “It changed my life. It will continue to change your lives. This is our story. And this is your time.”

“Today, we stand on the rock-solid foundation built by our ancestors,” he continued. “They transformed dreams into reality through hard work and strong values, not entitlement. As a result of their perseverance and yours, we share the privilege of being college graduates.”