The decision pushed him into the world of computers, a field he’d never really considered, and helped shape his belief that a rewarding life requires a mix of preparation and good fortune. When he returned to Auburn decades later to give the 2010 commencement address, he urged graduates to prepare themselves in anticipation that their opportunity would come just as his had that day with the recruiter from IBM. “We rarely control the timing of opportunities, but we can control our preparation,” he said.
