U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent addressed graduates at the University of South Carolina commencement ceremony on May 9, sharing personal reflections and encouragement for the Class of 2026.
Bessent, who was born in Conway and raised in Little River, said he felt honored to return to his home state for this occasion. He told graduates that "opportunity is omnipresent—if only we summon the courage to find it."
In his remarks, Bessent reflected on his own journey from lifeguarding and bartending in Myrtle Beach to becoming the seventy-ninth Secretary of the Treasury—and noted that he is the first person from South Carolina to hold this position. He acknowledged that many students may feel a mix of pride and uncertainty about their futures, saying: "The celebratory nature of these occasions can sometimes belie the unnerving specter of what comes next."
Bessent spoke about resilience through adversity by sharing stories from his family, particularly about his ninety-nine-year-old mother-in-law who survived World War II and later witnessed historic moments like a man walking on the moon. "Resilience, in her case, was both the capacity to absorb a set of circumstances and the insistence to see beyond them," he said.
He emphasized that every generation faces its own disruptions but also inherits opportunities as Americans. “On the eve of our nation’s 250th anniversary...that inheritance belongs to you,” Bessent said while referencing recent global challenges such as financial crises and pandemics experienced by today's graduates.
Concluding his address, Bessent encouraged students: “You are strong, you are powerful of spirit, and you are tested. You are the University of South Carolina Class of 2026.”
