Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Sunday urged Duke University graduates to be "doers ! able to able to chart your own course and unafraid, when necessary, to set sail against the strongest wind.

Today is a day of joy and for approaching the future with optimism, yet in our high spirits we cannot but be conscious of shadows," said Albright, who in 1997 became the United States' first female secretary of state.

"These include the shock of terror, the sorrow of innocent lives lost to war, disease and other plagues, the insecurity and injustice resulting from the gap between rich and poor around the world. And the uncertainty caused by confusion, terrible mistakes and ongoing violence in Iraq. There is a temptation to withdraw mentally from such perils, as if focusing our thoughts elsewhere might cause them to vanish. But avoidance is no way to live life."

More than 3,700 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees were awarded at the annual commencement ceremony before a crowd of more than 15,000 on a warm, sunny Mother's Day morning in the university's Wallace Wade football stadium. Albright was one of four to receive honorary degrees. The others were South African court justice Richard J. Goldstone, mathematician Phillip A. Griffiths and genetics researcher Oliver Smithies.

Student speaker Paul William Downs told the graduates the emotions they feel upon leaving Duke resemble those from when they first entered the university. "We are once again fearful and eager," he said in a humorous speech that ranged from dentistry and caffeine to difficult roommates and the legacy of a Duke education.

"In the end, the most beautiful part of this school is all of you, each and every one," said Downs, a graduating senior from New Jersey elected by his classmates to give the address. "Your passion is the only thing more stunning than this campus."

Downs received his biggest ovation when he reminded the students that "today is Mother's Day, so be sure to thank your mother." After the students stopped applauding and waving to their mothers and other family members in the stadium, Downs added, "It's also a very good day to ask her for money."

Downs, who was active in comedy and drama as a student, concluded by telling his fellow graduates: "You don't have to move mountains to change the world. All you have to do is remember what you've learned on this campus."

In her address, Albright told the graduating students it was not her intention "to place the weight of the world upon your shoulders -- for that is always to be the job of your parents.

"But I do hope that when you accept your diplomas, you will do so with a determination to make the most out of life and to search always for more and better ways to give.

"I hope you will reach for that degree with confidence even if you are not truly certain at the moment about your own ability to cope, carve out a niche and excel.

"I urge you to have faith because perhaps someday you will write a poem that elevates the mind; another a song that engenders love; and a third a book shedding new light upon the mysteries of life; and perhaps one of you will follow in the footsteps of Richard Goldstone and become a global champion of human rights and law; or heed the example of Oliver Smithies and explore the farthest frontiers of medical research; or join Phillip Griffiths in helping to inspire the spirit of scientific inquiry throughout the developing world.

"Perhaps one of you will devise a new foreign policy doctrine that spells out the right role for America in the world -- somewhere between isolationism that shuns global problems, and neo-imperialism that leaves us grappling with the hardest problems virtually alone," Albright said to applause.

"Or perhaps one of you will become President of the United States and thereby make her alma mater very, very proud," she said, to more applause.

During her commencement address, Albright congratulated Duke President Nannerl O. Keohane, who is stepping down June 30 after 11 years as the university's president.

"This is, as you all know, Nan Keohane's final commencement as president of Duke," Albright said. "Her record as an educator and innovator will set the standard for those who follow. She has prepared this university for the new century by strengthening community ties, opening the door to international education, improving the status of women and further burnishing Duke's reputation for excellence in all fields."

At the close of Sunday's commencement exercises, University Marshal Richard White asked those in attendance to join him in thanking Keohane for her years of service to Duke, at which point the crowd stood and applauded.