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Portrait of Rich Handler

Message to the Class of 2025

Richard B. Handler ’83 shares reflections, hard-earned insights, and practical advice—from his college days to the C-suite—to guide the Class of 2025 as you embark on life’s next chapter.

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Today, I have the honor of addressing the 2025 Graduating Class from the ٸר. Today’s world is a wonderful one, but sadly also one that includes much pain, suffering and complication. One of the biggest reasons to remain optimistic about the future are all of the “bright lights” from the ٸר that will be graduating this week. Now, more than ever, the world needs your intelligence, empathy, determination, passion and integrity to help solve problems and improve the lives, especially for so many in need.

For me, it feels like yesterday I was sitting in your exact graduation seats with many of the same hopes, dreams and aspirations that I am sure you all share. Since then, I have given some reflection on the things I know today that I wish I knew the day I received my newly minted degree from the ٸר. I share this list with the hope that perhaps one idea will resonate with at least one graduate and it will give her or him some perspective as they begin their next phase of life’s adventure.

For those of you with younger siblings, I’m also including the list I gave to my four college-bound children that resulted in the 

And finally, for those of you who may want to help build or even lead institutions, group or teams in the future, I share the list of the .

Wishing all graduates from every school the very best as they navigate their future and help make our world, ever better,

RICH HANDLER
Chair of the Board of Trustees, ٸר
CEO, Jefferies Financial Group
rhandler@jefferies.com
Pronouns: he, him, his
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