Graduate Jeromy Borges gets a little help from his friend Jessie Day, both of Middletown, before Saturday’s Bryant University graduation ceremony.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

SMITHFIELD — Boston Red Sox president and chief executive officer Larry Lucchino urged graduates of Bryant University Saturday to trust themselves and not allow mistakes to undermine their faith in themselves.

Lucchino delivered the commencement address to more than 800 undergraduates assembled beneath a white tent on Bryant’s 420-acre campus in Smithfield.

He addressed faculty, parents, students and others, including “fellow members of Red Sox Nation.”

Lucchino praised Bryant, as well as its president, Ronald K. Machtley. “As a proud, adopted son of New England, I am well aware of Bryant’s long history, the student-centered philosophy, the global perspective, the grand and unique vision of President Machtley,” he said.

He gave students a 10-point list of “some of the lessons that life and the world of sports have tried their best to teach me.” Among other things, he told students to:

•Be bold and take risks, in their personal lives and in their careers.

•Be strong enough to acknowledge when they do not know something. “When you don’t know, say so. Don’t guess,” he said.

•Take time for family. “Life is too hard to be lived alone,” he said. Call home. Call your mother. “And remember: texting doesn’t count,” he said.

•Seek a balance in life. “Don’t focus too early or [too much] on your career. … Widen your gaze,” he said.

•“Help some people along the way,” Lucchino said. Find a cause you care about and get involved. “Life is not about warming yourself by the fire. It’s about building the fire,” he said.

Lucchino prompted some laughter when he drew some comparisons between Bryant and the Boston Red Sox.

“We both appreciate the Ocean State’s precious resources,” he said. Students showed it by attending Bryant; the Red Sox showed it by signing outfielder Rocco Baldelli, a Rhode Island native, he said.

Both Bryant and the Red Sox look to Asia for continued growth, Lucchino said. Bryant does so by reaching out to China for academic opportunity and other reasons. “We look to Japan for pitchers,” he said.

Bryant conferred an honorary doctor of humane letters on Lucchino, whom Machtley described as “a distinguished individual of unique business acumen.”

At the end of his speech, Lucchino donned a Bryant University cap and shouted, “Go Bulldogs!” — a reference to the name of Bryant’s sports teams.

In an interview afterward, Lucchino said he was honored to receive a degree from Bryant, adding, “I love Rhode Island. … I tell everyone it’s America’s best-kept secret.”

He also said that Rhode Island is “one of the foundations of Red Sox Nation,” and said he appreciates the loyalty and passion of Rhode Island’s Red Sox fans.

Also on Saturday, Bryant awarded an honorary doctor of business administration to Malcolm G. “Kim” Chace, a Rhode Island business leader who is the founder and chairman Bancorp Rhode Island Inc. and its subsidiary, Bank Rhode Island.

Machtley called Chace “a leader in business, a supporter of the arts, and perhaps one of the most generous and philanthropic individuals I have ever met.”

In addition, Bryant conferred an honorary doctor of humane letters on Gretchen Dow Simpson, an artist who owns and operates the Gretchen Dow Simpson Studio in Pawtucket and is known for her distinctive views of New England architecture.

It was Bryant’s 146th undergraduate commencement. A Webcast of the ceremony — including Lucchino’s speech — is available on Bryant’s Web site: www.bryant.edu

ndowning@projo.com