James Carrigg has no doubts that the Binghamton University Class of 2012 will make the right decisions in the future.

"As you all venture forth from this great University to a new job, additional education, or to start your own business as an entrepreneur, I submit you will someday have your own 'defining moment' when you must ask yourself: 'Is this the right thing to do?'" Carrigg said.

Carrigg, a longtime chairman, chief executive officer and president of New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG), received an honorary degree and spoke at the Commencement ceremony held Dec. 16 at the Events Center.

More than 760 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees were awarded during the two-hour ceremony, which also featured addresses from President Harvey Stenger, doctoral-degree recipient Jason Loew and bachelor's-degree recipient Matthew Comite.

Carrigg has had a long and involved connection with Binghamton University, supporting the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts, athletics, the Institute for Child Development and scholarships honoring former President Lois B. DeFleur, former Watson Dean Lyle Feisel and Vice President Thomas Kelly. He is also a past chair of the Harpur Forum and a past member of the Binghamton Foundation Board of Directors.

But Carrigg admitted to the graduates that "my role here today is clearly linked to the establishment of the Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science," which opened in June 1983.

"A number of key people in this community banded together and embarked on a crusade to make it happen," Carrigg said. "Why? Because it was the right thing to do!"

Carrigg told how he and other community members and business leaders met with then-President Clifford Clark and his staff. After the local group made its presentation, the University officials expressed concerns such as a lack of labs and facilities, the amount of money needed for the project and the various constituencies in Albany that would need to approve the school.

"As I stood there at the beginning looking at the task we had, I said two words: mission impossible," Carrigg said.

But after all of the concerns were expressed and Carrigg was feeling pessimistic, a "defining moment" took place: Clark told his staff "Let's not be too hasty."

"At that moment, the tone of the meeting changed completely and we were on our way to making this engineering school a reality," Carrigg said. "The community team and the academic team banded together to take on the skeptics in Albany.

"It took many months and countless trips to Albany to change minds, but again: This was the right thing to do."

Carrigg left the Class of 2012 with some advice that he considered "profound."

"The future is not something we enter," he said. "The future is something we create."