Senior Speaker: Managerial Economics

A message from the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences:

Each year, our graduating students in every major select a student to speak on behalf of their area of study. Because we are a large college, the time allotted to our ceremony does not allow for each speaker to appear on stage. However, these speeches have been recorded for your viewing pleasure. 

At its core, our College supports open and free inquiry and debate about the most weighty and consequential subjects that face us all. Each student was given a minute to speak on whatever topic they think will be meaningful to their peers. Some of the contributions are lighthearted, others are serious, and some may inspire some people and conflict with the values and beliefs of others. But that is the nature of free inquiry and debate: it should challenge us and make us think. We are proud of every one of our graduates, whether or not we agree with the views they express here. 

Transcript: 

Namaste and good evening—faculty, friends, family, and fellow graduates. I’m Abhi Perala, and I’m honored to speak on behalf of our class. First, thank you to the College of SBS. Through your generous scholarships, donors, and top-notch departments, you made it possible for many of us to stand here today.

I still remember being a freshman, confused about everything—from choosing classes to finding a study spot. Thanks to the tremendous campus, I used to walk around for 3 hours finding a place to study, just to end up studying for 1 hour. Our time at UMass Amherst was full of these small but meaningful moments: midnight study sessions, group projects that tested our patience (and our friendships!), and the thrill of convincing ourselves we understood “managerial economics.” But more than formulas and graphs, this major taught me that knowledge isn’t meant to be blindly consumed—it’s meant to be questioned, debated, and truly understood. For example, there’s a famous saying in Economics, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Well, they clearly don’t know how to sneak into the dining halls. See, there’s always a flip side; we just have to stand by the right values.

Now, as we race off to conquer the markets, let’s remember to stay curious and compassionate. Yes, we can draft a perfect cost-benefit analysis, but can we tackle the problems like poverty and climate change? There are bigger problems in this world than what we faced in our Statistics class. Yes, the invisible hand can guide markets. But only our helping hands can guide humanity. In our short time, our generation has already braved some of the most turbulent events in recent history—pandemics, economic turmoils, and global breakdowns—and yet I stand here confident that we will forge a brighter tomorrow together, and I’m honored to be a part of it with all of you. We just graduated college, and we’re still confused; not about what classes to take, but what values to stand by, and what problems to solve. As we venture out, let’s be bold and remain idealistic—because those who remain idealistic are the ones who at least try to make the world an ideal place.

Thank you, and congratulations to the Class of 2025.