Wytheville Community College Commencement

Wytheville Community College Commencement

President Armstrong, Members of the General Assembly, Judge Bird, local officials, members of the faculty and staff, Class of 2003, ladies and gentlemen:

I'm glad to be here this evening at Wytheville Community College. Over the years, I have developed a real love for Southwest Virginia. When I ran for Governor in 2001, I spent part of the weekend before the election right here in Wytheville, at Fort Chiswell High School. And I told everyone who came that day, "On Election Day, you will have a partner to tap into the full potential of Southwest Virginia."

After sixteen months in office, I'm proud of what we have been able to accomplish in Southwest Virginia. Last winter, we created the Economic Crisis Strike Force and dispatched it to hard-hit areas of Southside and Southwest Virginia, including Marion. We have set up one-stop relief centers for individuals who have lost their jobs because of changing economic circumstances - and Wytheville Community College is a critical partner in this effort.

In a tough year, we have created or saved nearly 9,000 jobs in Southside and Southwest Virginia.

Last year, voters approved more than $1 billion in bonds to upgrade our public colleges, universities, community colleges, and state parks. Here in the area, that decision will mean a new visitor center and a better campground at Hungry Mother State Park - and at New River Trail State Park, it will mean renovations to the historic Foster Falls complex, and better, safer hiking trails.

Here at Wytheville, it will allow us to move forward on constructing the Snyder Auditorium. That means more classroom space, expanded theater program activities, and a great new auditorium for the community to use.

All of this was possible because of the success of institutions like Wytheville Community College and the people behind them. This truly is one of Virginia's best schools for giving people the chance to get ahead in a high-tech economy.

And I want you to know how proud I am that you have given me the honor of being the first Governor to address the commencement exercises here - and while all 23 Virginia community colleges are having graduations ceremonies this year, this is the only one I'm participating in. Most of all, I want to say congratulations on your graduation. Earning your credentials from here is not easy, and you deserve to feel proud.

One of the great things about schools like Wytheville is that they serve so many types of students - from high school students, to adults going back to learn new skills. Yet there's one thing in common - you're here because you want to be.

This school is so important because our economy is changing. More and more, today's job market demands skilled workers. But we'd be wrong to assume that fact means everyone needs a four-year college degree to get ahead. For too long, success in America traditionally has been defined by earning a four-year degree - even when that may not be the right choice for an individual student.

The fact is that more than sixty percent of tomorrow's jobs will not require a four-year degree. So instead, our focus should be on helping people obtain the job skills they need to be successful.

That means we cannot afford to treat career and technical training as a secondary education any longer. It's time we started treating our nurses and machine tool operators - our law enforcement officers and IT professionals - with the same respect that we treat our doctors and lawyers. Because none of us can do our jobs without the others.

Tomorrow, many of you will begin a new career and the next chapter of your life. Tonight, you deserve to celebrate.

You know, standing here tonight makes me think back to the time when I finished school more than two decades ago. I was the first in my family to graduate from college. And as I look back, there are a couple of things that I wish someone had told me at the time - a couple of lessons that I learned on my own.

The first is simple: Don't be afraid to fail. We learn through our failures. Believe me, I know the value of trying again. When I finished school, I took my entire life savings - $5,000 - and invested it in a business. I was young. I was inexperienced. But I was an entrepreneur, and I was proud. And in six weeks, I was broke.

So I started a second business. That one took a few weeks longer to fail.

Then I started a third business, based on a little-known new technology that could put telephones in cars. Everyone thought I was crazy - especially when they looked at my track record. But I persevered, and at the young age of 28, I was in on the ground floor of the wireless communications industry.

My success was due to good luck, hard work, and support and advice from friends and mentors. But most importantly, it depended on me to keep trying after I had failed. Those failures taught me that an old cliché is true: you can do whatever you put your mind to.

And the exciting thing about our changing economy is that you can do it wherever you want. Following your dreams may take you around the world - or it may lead you to stay right here in Southwest Virginia.

The great thing about schools like Wytheville Community College is that you can stay right here at home and study. And the great thing about this community is that if you do move away - and years later you decide to come home for a new job, they'll welcome you back again. Our next challenge in Virginia is to make sure that once people graduate from schools like this - that they don't have to move away to get good jobs.

The second words of wisdom I'd like to share are simple too: Call your mother. Call your father. Call your grandparents. Call your children. This speech and this ceremony will be over soon. When it is, every person graduating should find your family members and say, "thank you" and "I love you."

Because millions of people around the world will never even be able to dream of going to school - and you didn't make it here on your own. Your family helped you get here today, and they won't be around forever. So say it. It'll be good for you to say it and for them to hear it.

So that's it. Perhaps you'll remember this speech twenty years - or twenty minutes - from now, or perhaps not. What I hope you will remember is all that this school has done for you - and I hope you will choose to re-pay that debt by serving your community in whatever way you can.

Congratulations.