Ladies and Gentlemen, Distinguished Guests, Faculty, Administrators, Friends and Family and, of course, the graduating Class of 2009. Good evening. Well Here we are. WE DID IT! You know it’s funny to think of myself as a college graduate. When my brother graduated from college he landed this great job with a commercial airline. So he shows up on his first day at work and his manager greets him with a warm handshake, and he hands him a push broom. He says “your first job will be to sweep out this hanger.” So my brother gets a little irritated by this and says “but sir I’m a college graduate.” And his manager, taking the broom from him, says “Oh, I’m sorry let me show you how to use it.”
In all seriousness it’s a big honor to be speaking to you tonight. A great deal of work has been done to get us to the point where we are this evening, so a few thank you’s are in order. To our professors, who throughout the years here at Embry Riddle have taken great pride in the academic success that we are enjoying tonight. Like many of us they have careers and work during the day, however they always go the extra mile to teach and give a real world, outlook to ensure our success in today’s demanding world. For that, thank you for your love and for your efforts. Thank you to the ladies in the registration office. Your guidance and administrative support is the backbone of our Fort Worth campus. Thank you to our classmates and friends that have been with us on our educational journey. They have been there with us in the good times and the laughter, but also in those tougher moments of family or personal crises. And most importantly our family, especially our spouses that have been there for us. They have supported us all these years picking up the slack while we were in class. Our parents that love us, care about us and continue to have huge dreams for us. On behalf of the class of 2009, thank you all for the combined efforts of our academic success. A big mental hug to you all. Finally, 2009, when you have a quiet moment in prayer, say thanks to your Maker, for he fashioned you and molded you and gave you the skills and talents you have been developing all these years.
For me, tonight is an accomplishment that less than a year ago seemed more than a million miles away. You see, in January this last year, my son William was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and had to stay in the hospital for a very long time. This all happened at the same time my youngest son was born 6 weeks premature. I had both my sons in the ICU at the same time and, then and there, school was the last thing on my mind.
Over time, with the help modern medicine, and a whole lot of prayer, William began to get better. He was put on a year-long protocol that consisted of aggressive chemotherapy, surgery, a bone marrow transplant, radiation and finally immuno-therapy. I spent many nights at William’s bed side with little sleep and the feeling, THIS, that tonight was not going to happen for me, and for that I am so thankful, to God, my wife, my family, my friends, and my family here at Embry Riddle. I’m also grateful to people who said a prayer, who wished us well and went out of their way to make a small difference in a little boy’s life, and by extension, a huge difference in my life and the life of my family. It’s that element of the human spirit that I wanted to address here tonight.
When my son got sick my wife encouraged me to study, and keep on keeping on during a time when giving up on classes would have made life much easier. Of course my job was, First to make sure that William was getting the best treatment possible, and second to make good grades in school. So this became a real learning experience for me. On one hand I was studying and writing research papers on aviation safety, and on the other I had to learn everything I could about my son’s disease. I studied all the new innovative and cutting edge technology to make sure that he was getting the best treatment possible.
When word got out about my family’s unfortunate situation, we had people from all aspects of our lives offering their help and prayers. My wife’s work started a foundation and donated money for medical bills, cooked meals and brought us cleaning supplies. At the same time my boss, co-workers, and people I didn’t even know donated their hard-earned leave so that I could be with my boy in the hospital and not be without a paycheck. These are just a few of many kindnesses bestowed upon us in our time of need. I bring all this up for 2 reasons tonight, the first is to say thank you. I know that without their love and support there would be no diploma for me. The second reason is to encourage everyone here this evening to be the kind of people who pro-actively look for opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives. After what has happened to us, it is my hope that we never again pass up a chance to do something for someone in need or to be an angel when one is so desperately needed.
In his epic poem Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote that “heroic hearts are made weak by time and fate, but they are strong in will, To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield”. I would like to challenge everyone here tonight to find that heroic heart, that momentum to know that as you make your way out into the world tomorrow that you have left it a better place than when you’ve came in, that you’ve changed someone’s life for the better. My life has been changed for the better. My boys are both doing great and I cherish every moment I have with them. And so this evening, I wish all the best for my fellow classmates, the 2009 graduating class of Embry Riddle. May the dedication and devotion we have put into our studies here, reward each of us with success and a bright future. And when the time comes, may we be able to say that we have lived life to the fullest and that we did it deliberately. And if the chance ever comes to make the difference in the life of a fellow human being, it is my sincerest hope that we do it willingly and with our whole hearts. Thank you.
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