He kept the phone pressed to his ear, his face shadowed in the glare from the lobby.

“Integrity is not a commodity you can trade on the market,” I said into the microphone.

My voice echoed off the concrete walls of the auditorium.

“When you leave this campus, you will face choices that look like opportunities but are actually traps.”

I looked directly at the back door.

“They will ask you to protect the family name, or the company brand, at the expense of the truth.”

Derek lowered his phone.

He let his hand fall to his side.

He stood there for five more seconds, then turned and walked out, the heavy door swinging shut behind him.

The shaft of light disappeared.

I finished my speech, focusing on the rows of students in their black gowns.

I spoke about Solar Reach, about clean energy, and about the necessity of standing alone.

When I stopped, there was a brief pause.

Then the applause started.

It began in the front rows and swept backward, a loud, sustained roar.

I nodded once, picked up my printed pages, and walked off the stage.