John Harmon wasn’t always the founder, president, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. He wasn’t always an author. He wasn’t always a board member on some of the most important businesses and business groups in the country. He wasn’t always a banker. He wasn’t always one of the powerful and impactful public speakers in the state.
He once was a high school graduate working as an auto mechanic — trying to find his way.
Life’s journey can take you in a lot of directions. Embrace it, Harmon told the graduating class at William Paterson University’s 2025 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony Tuesday at the Prudential Center in Newark.
“Life’s possibilities are endless when you approach it believing that what you desire to achieve is not insurmountable,” he said. “Your mind is the most powerful resource that you have in your possession.”
Harmon told a class of more than 2,000 graduates — who ranged in age from 20-66 — not to let anything hold you back. He noted that he was one of seven children but the only one to earn a college degree, which he earned at Fairleigh Dickinson, once he realized college was for him.
From there, the sky was the limit because he followed his dreams. He encouraged the class to take the lessons they have learned and do the same.
“You are a pioneer … one who seeks to discover, one who has the aptitude to lead and not follow, one who seeks to apply an innovative approach to getting something done,” Harmon said. “You must be mindful of who you are and this institution, which provided the environment, nurturing, direction, and resources that allowed you to cultivate your dreams into a plan of action.
“Now, it is incumbent of you to take the investment made by William Paterson University in you to solve the challenges that are awaiting post-graduation. As you ponder your pathway to success, you must constantly remind yourself that you have what it takes to succeed. Why? Because your mind is the most powerful tool at your disposal.”
During the ceremony, Harmon was awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in recognition of “his achievements as a public servant, his initiatives focused on African American residents and businesses in the State of New Jersey, and for his leadership and commitment to improving the lives of all citizens in the state of New Jersey.”
If the graduates were listening closely, he may have improved a few more during his speech.
