DARTMOUTH — While the diplomas should represent greater value long term, UMass Dartmouth undergraduates last Thursday were treated to some instant gratification.

On hand at the commencement to receive the Chancellor’s Medal, Granite Telecommunications founder and CEO Robert Hale, Jr. gave each undergraduate $1,000 in the form of two envelopes, each filled with five $100 bills. He explained the first envelope was a graduation gift, the second to be given to someone in need or to a charity/cause close to each grad’s heart.

It was a fascinating twist to an abbreviated outdoor ceremony on Cressy Field. The weather was wet and windy. Hale’s cash-for-grads gesture suddenly made it feel like a bright sun-drenched day.

UMass undergraduate reacts to $1,000 commencement speaker gift

Cameron Rodgers, a 2019 Durfee High graduate and a track and field star for UMD, said he was floored and excited by Hale’s gesture. “Oh yes. I have debt,” he said.

Rodgers said he was also very impressed by Hale’s address to the nearly 1,200 graduates and all others in attendance.

“He said it was OK to fail. That was the gist of his speech” said Rodgers, a marketing major with a minor in management. “He went from being worth a couple billion dollars to bankrupt, and then coming back from failure to be a billionaire again.”

What is Granite Telecommunications?

Granite Telecommunications is a wholesale telecommunications provider. Hale received the Chancellor’s Medal for his philanthropic work.

Hale told the crowd that for himself and his wife Karen, “the greatest joys we’ve had in our life have been the gift of giving.”

Curiosity soared when, just before degrees were conferred, security brought two large duffle bags on stage. Hale explained the bags contained the envelopes stuff cash and then shared the details about the two-per-graduate $500 envelopes.

Rodgers said that due to a hectic schedule since graduation, he hasn’t yet decided whom or what charity will benefit from his second envelope.

“I’ve been looking at some,” he said.

At Thursday’s ceremony, student speaker Alexis Petty told her fellow grads, “As we stand on the precipice of new beginnings, it’s natural to feel a mix of excitement and apprehension about what lies ahead. But let me assure you that uncertainty is not a sign of weakness. Rather, it is a testament to the infinite possibilities that await us.”

According to a UMD press release, the undergraduate Class of 2024 comprised 40% first-generation students and 31% of students of color.

To learn more about the accomplishments of the graduating class, visit the UMass Dartmouth Commencement Spotlights.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: University of Massachusetts Dartmouth speaker gives grads $1,000 each