Rocsi Diaz urges Wright State freshmen to follow what they love

Rocsi Diaz, an Entertainment Tonight correspondent and former BET anchor, urged each student in Wright State University’s freshman class to find his or her passion and give back in that area.

“It doesn’t take a lot of work. You don’t have to be a celebrity,” she said during her speech at Freshman Convocation at the Wright State Nutter Center on Friday. “All you have to do is have a big heart and give back.”

Rocsi Diaz encouraged the class of 2017 to find their passion.

Diaz’s talk focused on cultivating common ground through community engagement and civic responsibility.

She told the students that when she started college, she didn’t know what she wanted to major in or what career path she might follow. Eventually, she found her passion through community service.

“I didn’t know being able to help people and giving back to people was my true calling, not being a TV personality or interviewing the biggest celebrities,” said Diaz, who co-anchored 106 & Park, BET’s flagship show before joining Entertainment Tonight as a correspondent in 2012.

“You have no idea how good it feels to do something for someone else,” she said.

She also encouraged students to cherish the opportunity they have to attend college and to make the most out of it. You will take what you learn here and the experiences you have in college with you for the rest of your lives, she said.

More than 2,100 students are beginning their higher education on Wright State’s Dayton campus.

Wright State President David R. Hopkins welcomed the university’s newest Raiders and encouraged them to participate in every opportunity given to them—both inside and outside of the classroom.

He compared college to a marathon, telling students that they will spend the next four years preparing themselves for their graduation day.

“Please embrace it and make the most of it, so that four years from now, I will be shaking your hand as you cross the finish line and receive your Wright State diploma,” Hopkins said. “I look forward to being on the sidelines, cheering you on as you run closer and closer to making your dreams come true.”