On May 17 and 18, 835 members of the class of 2008 were honored at the recognition ceremonies for graduates of Columbia Business School’s full-time and executive MBA programs.“You are an extraordinary group of people … It has been particularly gratifying to see how you … are not only bright and creative but also committed to the importance of community,” Dean Glenn Hubbard said in remarks highlighting the accomplishments of individual students and the graduating class as a whole.He congratulated those who contributed to the success of this year’s Make Your Mark class gift campaign, which achieved a 95 percent participation rate, and encouraged the graduates to support each other as part of an alumni network of over 36,000 people. “This community – your network – is a powerful asset that you can leverage for a lifetime. Stay connected to it, reach out to one another often, and use the resources it provides, which you have so richly earned,” he said.The May 18 MBA recognition ceremony was highlighted by the remarks of Jerry Speyer ’64, chairman and CEO of real estate firm Tishman Speyer.Speyer acknowledged the difficulties of leadership in “challenging times,” but stressed to the graduating MBAs the importance of perseverance – for the good of their careers, and for the good of those whom their careers would benefit.“The world needs you now,” he said. “It needs people who believe that things can get better, and people who are willing to work to make them better.  It needs you not merely when the market is up, when money is easy, when the banks are only too eager to lend, but now, ladies and gentlemen, in difficult, challenging times.”