TROY – Gov. Bob Riley told Troy University graduates Friday they must be prepared to compete in a global economy to be successful over the next generation.

Speaking to graduates in Sartain Hall on the Troy Campus, Gov. Riley said the world is changing “at laser speed” and Alabama is not immune to these changes.

“Twelve years ago, no one in this room had used the internet,” Gov. Riley said. “Today, we have more information available to us than at any point in the history of the world.”

This information revolution means that Alabama’s competitors are no longer neighboring Southern states, but India, China and the Pacific Rim nations, said Gov. Riley. He praised Troy University and Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. for creating a global university that serves students around the world through distance learning and on campuses outside of Alabama in 16 states and 14 nations outside the U.S.A.

But Riley cautioned graduates that being competitive does not mean abandoning their personal values.

“You have to decide what makes your life successful,” he said.

Graduates from 16 U.S. states and 11 nations earned diplomas at Friday’s commencement. One member of the graduating class, Martha Griffin of Pike County, earned her degree 37 years after graduating from high school and after helping six of her seven children earn college degrees. Gov. Riley and Chancellor Hawkins saluted Mrs. Griffin for her achievement during the ceremony.

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