At Berkeley, A Graduation Plea For Peace

Angad speaking to the graduation attendees

OBSESSED WITH PUBLIC SPEAKING

One of the first steps, for Padda, was learning how to be an effective communicator of ideas. During his time at Berkeley, Padda won second place in the All-America National Impromptu Speaking competition. He says the recognition was a pivotal moment in giving him the confidence to become a strong and effective communicator.

“That was such a huge pat of the back because it makes you feel that you can be an effective mediator and connect with an audience despite your accent or the way you look,” he says.

Padda became obsessed in learning about effective communication. He began “voraciously reading” books and observing people who “oozed these personalities.” He studied speeches by Winston Churchill and Barack Obama, trying to understand how to effectively communicate ideas.

“I wanted to understand what makes a personality tick,” he says. “I wanted to understand how you could boil down the art of confident communication, charisma, presence, warmth, and affection.”

NOT ALL RESPONSES TO SPEECH WERE POSITIVE

Padda’s determination to master effective communication paid off. He applied through the UC Berkeley undergraduate office to teach two courses as an undergrad student: “the Art of Public Speaking” and “Communicating with Confidence and Charisma.” After receiving sponsorship from a Haas professor and getting his courses approved, he began teaching. Demand for his courses skyrocketed, with even MBA students enrolling and auditing the courses.

Angad (Center with green turban) with peers

The positive reaction to his commencement speech is proof that Padda is an effective communicator, but the viral response is not something Padda takes pride in.

“At the end of the day, I just want to do my humble best and give back”, Padda says. “I’m very humbled and honored.”

Despite the waves of positive response to his speech, Padda says he also received several hate emails as well. Rather than respond hatefully, however, Padda says he always tries to respond with compassion and love.

“FOR ME, IT’S CREATING A BETTER WORLD”

“I’m not here to spread violence,” he says. “One thing I really firmly believe in is that you can never fight hate with hate. If somebody gives you a rough time, my response has never been a hateful response. I genuinely believe that given enough love, there will be no hate.”

It’s been a few years since Padda has returned to Punjab. He’s had a successful business education and he says he has confidence that he and his fellow graduates will go far in the business world. But Padda says, there’s more work to be done. It’s not only doing good business, but also engaging in the business of doing good. For Padda, the memory of his two close friends he lost in Punjab is a constant reminder that he must always strive to do better.

“They say time heals all wounds, but this is something that I will never forget,” Padda says. “It’s something that will always stay with me. It’s an experience that made me realize that there’s a lot to life beyond just money. There’s a lot to life beyond just the glamour, glitz, and materialism. It’s finding what really genuinely drives you. For me, it’s creating a better world.”

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To watch Angad Singh Padda’s speech, click below.