A friend holds a senior admissions position at an Old Ivy. Every year, they’re flooded with applications, and the work load sounds crushing.

“It’s OK, though,” my friend said. “Reading these applications gives me hope.”

The reason is that there are so many young people doing great things and, upon graduation, are unleashed onto the world. So, it is gratifying work.

I love meeting people, both through my job and just as a fellow citizen. Here are some folks, who have graduated recently and are doing incredible things:

• Linnea Hjerpe. I met Eric’s daughter some years ago, when she did some truly amazing work for us as a summer intern. Over the years, I learned that Linnea kept doing interesting work. Recently, I looked at her LinkedIn and was blown away by the many things she already has done in the Innovation Economy. Linnea just graduated from college and is looking for an entry-level marketing role at a growth-stage company. If you’re hiring, you want to know about her.
• Brendan George, Josiah Jordan, Robert Petrocelli. They just graduated from Brown University and they sang with the highly-skilled Jabberwocks (great video here). I’ve interacted with them over the past few years, and they are truly talented and harbor strong values and deep humility. When you think of Ivy League graduates, you might think of a few stereotypes. Not with these three. They’re incredibly down-to-earth and generous. I’m excited to see what the future holds for them and the impact they will have on the world.
• Brian Murrihy. I was introduced to Brian via an angel investor. What proceeded was a series of email exchanges, and I decided to meet him. Brian is doing something pretty cool with LUMO.com: he is innovating in the pets accessories space, an area that gets very little attention. It’s hard to explain, but Brian’s professionalism, thoughtfulness and passion come across in a very unique way. He graduated from MIT Sloan and is definitely an entrepreneur to watch.

So, there you have it. Hope abounds in our world.

Sometimes, the news headlines make me feel a bit overwhelmed, as they’re loaded with conflict and viciousness. But, away from all that, there are many people who want to do the right thing. Therefore, I will always look for them, and, therefore, I will always be able to find hope.

Thank you, Linnea, Brendan, Josiah, Robert and Brian. Interacting with you all makes me feel incredibly hopeful for the world.