Dignitaries, Dr. Terrence Roberts, Administrators, Faculty, Graduates and Guests,

I am truly honored to be given the privilege of addressing you during this evening’s commencement ceremony.

Most of us in America move at least a few times in our lifetime. When I was thirteen, I made the biggest move of my life: across the Pacific Ocean to India. Attending high school in India is quite different from high school here, as you can imagine. I will never forget the poverty and destitution I saw, but even more incredible, the hospitality and generosity in spite of it all. My time in India strengthened my family values and made me a stronger Christian. The four years I spent there strongly influenced the perspective and attitudes I have today.

For one, the phrase describing America as the “land of opportunity” now takes on real meaning. As a second generation American, I encountered none of the economic disadvantages my parents had to face when they were my age—until I went to study abroad six years ago.

Now, returning home to California, it occurred to me why so many see America as a promised land. The odds for my success as a student are all in my favor. At Fullerton College for example, there is an office for everything: financial aid, free tutoring and career counseling are just a few of the services offered. It’s incredible.

There are also many employees who make FC special. There’s Cheryl who takes care of us in the women’s locker room with uniforms, equipment and anything else—most often in my case, items I’ve lost-- and Camille who rings us up for lunch in food services. Professors include Ted Chan, whose sweet nature few Chem students will ever forget. He turned my deep-seated fear of Chemistry into a passionate love for the subject. Coach Bevec and Coach Kiefer welcomed me as a newcomer to track and field and taught me some of the most important lessons I will ever learn. I learned to raise the standard on myself and to try for things I never would have dreamed I could achieve.

Professor Miguel Powers is one of the most idealistic professors I’ve ever met, and I know he doesn’t mind my saying so. He made the strongest impression on me by something he shared in class about education: as students, we must “take [our] education”, not be fed it by our teachers.He is right. Many of us have grown up with so much available to us; opportunities such as education can easily be taken for granted. It is a powerful tool and provides a wealth of knowledge and access to resources. So then what do we do with it all? We’re all graduating tonight. Some of us are transferring, while others have completed college. But the road doesn’t end here for any of us.

You see, one of the effects of education is to broaden one’s sense of community. Our community is not just Fullerton, CA or even the USA. It is mankind. Think of the child in Sudan who cannot ease his hunger pangs by running over to a Costco and grabbing a slice of pizza. He can only close his eyes and bear the pain.

So now you have a choice to make. Go for that job with the better salary, using that money and power to serve yourself and your pleasures or to be the generation of hope. Individuals such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have already shown us the good that can be done with wealth and power. Let’s raise the standard on ourselves. Let’s use what education has given us to take real action. These aren’t mere words meant to inspire you to buy a few GAP t-shirts and LIVESTRONG bands and be done. This is a call to make it a personal mission to take action. Each of us has something to give. There is a plethora of problems: disease, hunger, human rights violations—take your pick.

It seems a daunting task but something I learned here was perseverance. Running cross country at Fullerton was physically the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. I’m no star runner and the times I wanted to give up are too numerous to count. As I learned to persevere, I understood that the long 3 mile race was really 3 shorter single-mile runs. As Coach Bevec has told me countless times in track and field, take it one hurdle at a time. 

For those days you wake up on the wrong side of the bed—and there will be days like that—remember the words of Thomas Edison: “Many of life’s failures are people who didn’t know how close they were to success when they gave up.” You’ve conquered community college. Keep going. God willing, from here I will continue in the medical field at LLU or APU and serve those in need from that profession. Where will you go?

The lessons and memories we’re taking away from FC will help us along the way. Let’s raise our standards, take the opportunities, persevere until we succeed! And then remember that there really is a hungry child in Sudan, and India and even here in Orange County, that is counting on you. He is real and he needs hope. Be that hope. Thank you, and congratulations class of 2008!