Never Give Up on Hope: Jim Ziolkowski’s Fordham Commencement Speech

Earlier this month, buildOn Founder and CEO Jim Ziolkowski delivered the commencement address for graduates at Fordham University Gabelli School of Business’s Graduate Diploma Ceremony.

In a deeply personal speech, Jim reflected on the lessons that shaped buildOn’s mission over the last 35 years, from unexpected meetings with Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama to moments of service in the Bronx that reminded him why compassion matters.

At the center of the speech was a simple message for graduates: do small things with great love, never give up, and trust that even ordinary acts of compassion can change the world.

How Can I Change the World?

Jim opened his speech by reflecting on buildOn’s beginnings and the challenges of starting an organization dedicated to service and education.

In the mid-1990s, buildOn was still struggling to survive. Jim had recently recovered from a near-death experience in Malawi and was traveling back to Nepal to continue building schools. On the way, he stopped in Calcutta to volunteer alongside his brother with the Missionaries of Charity.

There, something unexpected happened.

After several mornings attending Mass in a small chapel, Jim was allowed to meet Mother Teresa.

“I saw her face glowing,” Jim recalled. “She said, ‘God bless you. Thank you for being here.’”

During their conversation, Jim asked how she had changed the world. Her answer stayed with him for decades.

“All I ever did was small things with great love.”

“I was like, ‘Come on, you’ve got missions in 130 countries. You won the Nobel Peace Prize. There’s got to be more to it than that.’ And she smiled, ‘No, no, just do small things with great love.’

Jim Ziolkowski, buildOn Founder and CEO

“Never Give Up”

Not long after meeting Mother Teresa, Jim traveled to Dharamsala, India, where he unexpectedly was approved to meet the Dalai Lama.

While waiting for the meeting, Jim came across a poem hanging on the wall that would become one of the defining lessons of his life:

“Never give up. No matter what is going on, never give up.”

Jim connected that message directly to buildOn’s journey.

Over the last 35 years, buildOn has worked through a civil war in Nepal, the AIDS pandemic in Africa, hurricanes, earthquakes, terrorism, and countless moments of rejection and uncertainty.

But the mission endured. Because, just as the Dalai Lama said, Jim and buildOn never gave up.

“‘Never give up. No matter what is happening, no matter what is going on around you, never give up.’ I wrote it down and I wasn’t nervous anymore.”

Jim Ziolkowski, buildOn Founder and CEO

A Full Circle Moment in the Bronx

One of the most powerful moments in the speech came when Jim shared a recent service experience at Part of the Solution in the Bronx alongside buildOn students.

On a 100-degree day, students served meals to community members facing food insecurity. 

“There was so much dignity and joy. And I was caught up in the whole thing. I had to get in the action.”

While helping distribute water, a man experiencing homelessness approached Jim and said something that instantly brought him back to Calcutta decades earlier.

“God bless you. Thank you for being here.”

In that moment, Jim realized the lessons from Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama had come full circle.

“I realized Mother Teresa was right. If we do small things with great love, we can change the world. And the Dalai Lama was right. If we never give up, if we remain compassionate, we can change the world.”

Jim Ziolkowski, buildOn Founder and CEO

What Should Graduates Do in 2026?

Jim closed his speech with a challenge to the graduating class.

No matter where their careers lead, whether to finance, technology, business, or entrepreneurship, they will have opportunities every day to make a difference through compassion and service.

“This is your time. You are the light of the world. You are beacons on a mountain top. When you get out there, all you gotta do is do small things with great love. You don’t have to go to Calcutta. You can do it here in the Bronx. You can go across the street or in your own home.”

And when adversity comes:

“Never give up on yourself. Never give up on each other. And never give up on hope.”

Watch the full commencement speech here:

Inspired by Jim’s speech? Help ignite change across the globe by making a tax-deductible donation to buildOn today.