When he was 10 years old, Antonio Daniels took apart his mother's only color television to satisfy his curiosity about how it worked. When his mother found the TV in pieces, she challenged Daniels to put it back together and make sure it still worked.

Daniels successfully reassembled the set, turning a potentially disastrous moment into a lesson in problem-solving. He said the experience revealed his passion for understanding how things work and marked the first sign that he was destined to become an engineer.

“I know that was the moment I felt like a builder,” Daniels said, “because engineering begins with curiosity.”

Chief information officer at Comcast Business, Daniels (‘93, MBA ‘15) shared that story during his address at the 2026 McCormick Undergraduate Convocation, held June 15 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Daniels, who earned his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and computer science, was introduced by Christopher Schuh, dean of Northwestern Engineering.

Schuh said graduates' time at McCormick was their first major design challenge, requiring them to decide how to use a finite period of their lives to build skills, relationships and purpose. He praised students for embracing curiosity, collaboration, and strategic thinking through classes, research, internships, and other opportunities.

Those experiences, Schuh said, helped graduates discover whether their passions lie in building new technologies, advancing knowledge through discovery, or bringing people together to solve complex problems.

“There are a million paths to success, and you each have found yours,” Schuh told the graduates. “We celebrate them all.”

Daniels’ path began with that old TV, and went on to inform the seven pieces of advice he shared with the Class of 2026 as they launch careers of their own.

1. Escape gravity

Daniels said engineers are often pulled by the "gravity" of comfort, habits, and existing systems, leading them to optimize what already exists rather than question whether it should exist at all. He urged graduates to act with intention and recognize that true innovation sometimes requires replacing a system rather than improving it.

2. You must build, not work

A job can teach valuable skills, but building something of your own creates leverage and lasting impact, he said. Daniels encouraged graduates to keep creating—whether a product, company, platform, or idea—because builders are the ones who shape the future.

“People who only wait for direction support someone else’s future,” Daniels said.

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3. Collaborate across boundaries

Daniels said today’s biggest challenges span multiple fields, making the ability to connect technical, business and human perspectives increasingly important. He emphasized that success depends not only on generating ideas but also on communicating them effectively so others can understand, use, and support them.

4. Remember you are greater than AI

AI is fundamentally changing how engineering work gets done, making it essential rather than optional for future professionals. Daniels urged graduates to embrace AI as a tool to increase their capabilities, arguing that those who effectively use it will have a significant advantage over those who resist it.

“One of those groups wins. You don’t need to build models from scratch, but you must use AI to move faster, think better, and create more,” Daniels said. “Not creativity born from the summation of the creativity of the past, but real, genuine creativity born from the ethereal desire to realize your potential, the desire to push the envelope of human expression.”

5. Take ownership early

Daniels said young professionals can accelerate their careers by taking ownership of outcomes rather than simply completing assigned tasks. He encouraged graduates to embrace difficult, ambiguous problems, arguing that leadership and visibility come from responsibility, not recognition.

6. Design your life

Engineers are trained to design systems, and Daniels said they should apply that same structural thinking intentionally to designing their own lives. He argued that without deliberate choices about where and with whom you live, work, and build relationships, your job will end up shaping your life for you without asking permission.

“I’ve seen incredibly successful people with impressive careers who realize too late that they optimized the wrong thing,” Daniels said. “Don’t make that mistake.”

7. Move fast

The modern world rewards speed and execution over perfection, valuing rapid iteration with clear intent rather than cautious over-refinement. Daniels implored graduates to build, test, learn, and adapt quickly, arguing that excessive perfectionism often masks fear and causes people to miss opportunities.

Daniels then summarized his comments, and closed with one final piece of encouragement.

“The world you’re entering does not need more observers. It needs builders—people willing to create, challenge, and lead,” he said. “You leave Northwestern with more than a degree. You leave with the tools to build what does not yet exist, so go build something that matters.”

Watch the ceremony