Utah Valley University graduates were welcomed into the 2024 ceremony Thursday with cheers and screams from family and friends calling out names and jumping up and down to get their loved ones’ attention in a crowd of hundreds.
UVU President Astrid Tuminez strolled down the line of graduates, waving pompoms high in the air, to signal that long study hours, homework assignments and class lectures were over — it was time to celebrate.
As a UVU 2024 graduate, I too felt comfort and accomplishment as the graduation ceremony commenced; what a relief.
The graduating class consisted of 10,197 graduates, who took with them 12,489 degrees and certificates.
Coming from various backgrounds, graduates’ ages ranged from 16 to 71 and comprised 26 out of Utah’s 29 counties, 48 states and territories, and 42 countries.
“That represents courage and risk-taking and belief in yourself and what you can become,” Tuminez said. “Not only do we educate the most Utahns, UVU graduates the most Utahns in the state. Our legislators will be so happy to hear that.”
Creating an unstoppable mindset
Before creating what would eventually become the largest luxury makeup brand in the country, Jamie Kern Lima experienced years of failures and rejections. At Thursday’s ceremony, she shared her entrepreneurial journey as the 2024 commencement speaker and honorary doctorate of business recipient.
In her speech, she invited the graduates to ask themselves three questions:
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What would you do if you had no fear of rejection or failure?
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What if you decided to believe you’re not crazy, you’re just (the) first?
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What will you do with the power that is you?
“These three questions helped me go from working as a struggling waitress (with) nonstop self-doubt, to believing I was worthy of launching a company in my living room, overcoming hundreds of ‘nos’ and rejections for years, and eventually building that company to over 1,000 employees, selling it to L’Oreal in a billion-dollar deal and becoming the first woman to hold a CEO title of a brand in their more than 100-year history,” Lima said.
Years before selling her product on over 1,000 live shows on the televised shopping channel QVC, the company’s director of beauty merchandising, Allen Burke, called her and told her it was a unanimous “no” from the whole board.
A few years later into her beauty company’s journey, Lima said she was contacted by a well-known investor, and everything was going in the right direction until their final meeting when she was handed another rejection:
“He said, ‘Do you want me to be really honest with you?’ And I said, ‘Yes, please.’ And he’s literally 3 feet in front of me, and he says, ‘I just don’t think women will buy makeup from someone who looks like you with your body and your weight.’”
She explained that hearing those words was like facing her biggest fears straight in the eye.
“His painful rejection echoed in my mind often, and I had to intentionally reassign its meaning. I would tell myself over and over (that) rejection is God’s protection. And I can’t wait to see what amazing things are ahead that will be so much better than if that investor had said yes.”
Six years later, she said she finally got the chance to advertise her product on QVC and sold out her entire inventory in the 10-minute segment.
After she received the L’Oreal deal, she said she received another call from Burke, this time to congratulate her and admit he was wrong.
“He eventually retired from QVC after working there for decades. And when he did, we hired him in a paid position on our advisory board,” Lima said. “So the guy that rejected me was now working for me.”
“Someone else’s doubts about you are no indication of your potential success. It is not. And I really want these words to take root with you forever,” she told the UVU graduates.
“They might call you underestimated until they call you unstoppable. And I know this because I’ve lived it,” Lima added. “People might call you rejected, and then one day, they just might end up calling you boss.”
Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
