Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood Give Inspiring Commencement Address at Alma Mater

Colleges around the country held graduation ceremonies this past weekend, and one of them was the [...]

By Hannah Barnes

Colleges around the country held graduation ceremonies this past weekend, and one of them was the University of Georgia. As many schools do, the university featured a commencement speech, with this year's given by Lady Antebellum members Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, who are both alums of the school.

Kelley and Haywood each received bachelor's degrees in business administration from UGA in 2004, with Haywood telling the crowd on Friday that the pair began writing music together during their senior year.

The pair explained that they hadn't planned on becoming country singers, but moved to Nashville a few years after graduation at the urging of Kelley's brother Josh.

"There was a bit of a risk for us to go to Nashville, but at the same time ... it wasn't really that big of a risk at all. It was a calculated risk," Haywood told the assembled students. "Now you have a degree and now you can take a big risk because you have an amazing diploma ... Be open to things you haven't even dreamed of."

Kelley encouraged the audience to be open to new experiences, much like he and Haywood were after their own graduation.

"There is more than one clear path and direction," he said, warning against one popular piece of advice.

"The thing that has brought me the most happiness is chasing my dream. I loved studying finance," the singer told the crowd. "But I always had this artistic side that I knew was kind of in the shadows. There are so many options for you guys, and don't think you only have one clear path. I hate when people say, 'Don't have a plan B.' That's BS. I totally had a plan B, and it took all the risk away from me."

Kelley concluded, "Good luck. I wish you all well, I hope you can find your dream job, but just be happy, find your purpose, [and] be nice to mom and dad."

At the end of their speech, Kelley noted that the pair felt like the should sing for their supper, with Haywood breaking out his guitar as the musicians performed a rendition of "Georgia on My Mind."

The duo also tweeted their congratulations after the fact.

"Congrats @UniversityofGA Class of 2018!" they wrote. "Such an honor to come back to our old stomping grounds and give this year's commencement speech. GO DAWGS!!"

Photo Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

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