Hunt Speech at Tate Lecture



Mr. Jordan, thank you for taking time to speak to us at SMU. We are very happy you are here.
Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, Dr. Turner, Professor Pryor, it is always an honor to be invited to events such as this.

My name is Jamie Corley, I am a graduating senior Hunt Scholar majoring in History and Communications and I am originally from St. Louis, Missouri.

As a senior, I’ve spent many nights reflecting on my experience at SMU. I’ve had trials and tribulations. I’ve been overwhelmed, but never bored. I’ve tested my limits, failed and succeeded.

A two minute speech could never express the sincere gratitude I and my fellow hunt scholars feel toward the Hunt family. The opportunities afforded to us because of their generosity are innumerable. Amanda Blakely, a senior Hunt, put it perfectly: Without the Hunts, I wouldn't be at SMU, and without SMU, I wouldn't be who I am today.

It is as impossible to describe a “typical Hunt scholar” as it is to define leadership itself. We’ve interned at the White House and been elected to the Student Union at the London School of Economics. We’ve served as presidents of sororities and fraternities, Inter-Fraternity Councils, Arts Associations and Leadership boards. We’ve designed clothing lines, starred in theatre productions and written novels.

We’ve traveled to Mexico, Italy, England, Iceland, Denmark, France, Australia, Italy, Spain and Taos, New Mexico. We’re engineers, historians, biologists, communicators and artists.

We’ve spent countless hours volunteering at the International rescue center, Habitat for Humanity, Scottish Rite Children’s hospital and Interfaith housing coalition. …. And I should mention that that’s just the senior class.

We are a diverse group, but a few things link us inextricably: The inability to settle, the desire to promote fundamental change in the world around us and the belief that leadership is not defined by personal gain, but measured by service to others.

There is a crisis of leadership everywhere. Just look at the current economic crisis. But as all of the Hunt Scholars know through experience, true leadership shines in times of trial. I have no doubt that the students sitting at these tables are the next generation of leaders, ones who are trusted and willing to trust, ones who do not back down from challenges and ones who live up to expectations; leaders who lead with compassion and by example.

Mr. and Mrs. Hunt, I know that I speak for everyone when I say I hope I could one day live up to a fraction of your legacy. Thank you for everything.

Jamie Corley
Hunt Speech at Tate Lecture
January 27, 2009

Mr. Jordan