Clark grads urged to find passion.

• Author: Thompson, Elaine
• Position: Local

Byline: Elaine Thompson

WORCESTER -- Panera Bread founder Ronald M. Shaich told Clark University graduates that knowing what really matters dramatically increases the probability that they will produce their desired outcome in their career and in life.

Mr. Shaich, a 1976 Clark graduate, told the graduates that life is not a business plan. He urged them to forget about "plotting out a well-planned life'' and focus on their passion.

"Folks, it's not choosing the right path that matters. It is knowing what ignites your passion,'' he said. "Once you've figured out what brings you joy, you don't have to worry about finding the right path. Any path will take you there.''

Mr. Shaich was guest speaker during Clark's 110th commencement Sunday afternoon. The university presented 511 bachelor's, 442 master's and 16 doctoral degrees. The graduates represented more than 80 countries.

Mr. Shaich, a New Jersey native, shared three personal stories about how to figure out what is most important in career and life.

The first was about him finding himself in business after opening a convenience store on campus during his junior year. He said he knew even then that his life's passion was to make a difference in the world. After business school, he ultimately opened a cookie store in downtown Boston, which led to Panera Bread.

According to its website, as of Dec. 31, St. Louis-based Panera Bread, formerly known as Au Bon Pain Co., operated 1,777 company-owned and franchise-operated bakery-cafes in 45 states and in Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Shaich's second story centered around the company beginning cafes, called Panera Cares, as a way to address hunger in America. He got the idea from watching a news program about a community cafe in Denver where some customers who could afford to pay more for their meal to offset the cost of meals for customers who could not afford to pay.

Panera Bread has five Panera Cares cafes, including one in Government Center in Boston.

His third story was about his father's final days before dying of cancer after coming to live with his son.

Mr. Shaich said his father spoke of his successes and his disappointments.

"He wished he could have been a better parent. He agonized over decisions he had made. He regretted the missed opportunities -- the roads he didn't take,'' said Mr. Shaich.

He urged the graduates to not wait until near death to do a self-assessment of their life.

"So ask yourself, what will you value as you conduct your own pre-mortem? I strongly suspect that the thing that will...