From her address to the Princeton Class of 2009 (via Mere):
Third, I have a message particularly for all you young women here today…or as Beyonce might say, all the single ladies. John Lennon once wrote “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
I’m sure you are all graduating with big career goals. You may also have a dream of being married and having a family, and at some point the career may take a backseat. There is no more challenging, rewarding or important job than being a mom. I just want to say this—sometimes dreams of domestic bliss are interrupted by reality. People get divorced. People die. You need to protect yourself. I was very happily married to a wonderful man. He was diagnosed with colon cancer and nine months later, he was gone. I was a single mom with two very young children. This was not part of the plan. Luckily, I had a career and therefore the financial independence to support my children. Many women in my situation are not nearly as fortunate. And while I don’t mean to be a Debbie Downer, I want you all to be prepared for the unexpected and approach some of the big life decisions you’ll be making with your eyes wide open.
I worked with Katie at NBC, and thought the world of her. I love that this was her speech.
