Moulton Gives the Commencement Address at North Shore Community College
Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) delivered the commencement address to the 2015 graduates of North Shore Community College on Thursday, May 21st. Below is a transcript of the Congressman's remarks:
"Thank you President Gentile, and the distinguished members of the North Shore Community College faculty. It is a privilege to be here with you. And thank you to all the alumni, special guests, family members, and friends--your presence makes this day that much more special.
"And most importantly, thank you to the Class of 2015. You did it! It is an honor to be here with you, and let me say again: congratulations.
"It wasn't too long ago that I was sitting in the very place you are today: A bright-eyed college grad ready to take on the world. And, let's be honest, incredibly grateful that the exams, papers, labs and presentations were in my past.
"There was also a part of me that was apprehensive, unsure of what would come next, and sad to be losing the college community I had come to love. I remember that like it was yesterday, too.
"So what's next? I won't tell you that I know the answers. My aim today is not to tell you the keys to success and happiness -- I'm trying to figure them all out myself -- but instead to share three specific lessons that I've learned since graduating from college.
"First, embrace the unknown.
"In college, I was a physics major. As you can imagine, there wasn't exactly a pipeline from the Harvard physics department to the US Marine Corps. But as I thought about what I wanted to do after graduation, nobody inspired me more than the 18 and 19 year-old kids who served on the front lines of our Nation's military. I still feel that way today.
"Truthfully, my family was shocked by my decision. In fact my mother, whom I love dearly, was asked by a Boston Magazine reporter how proud she was of me for joining the Marines. Her answer? "I would only be more disappointed in Seth," she said, "if he had chosen a life of crime."
"Hopefully nobody here is hearing that this morning! She loved me, but she was scared. And I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't a little scared myself.
"Being a Marine is not easy. There were days without sleep, days without enough food or ammunition, and the constant threat of IEDs, mortar attacks, and betrayal. It's been well-documented how unprepared we were for the war--my platoon was given Humvees with sheet metal cut-out doors in order to protect ourselves from roadside bombs. They didn't work very well.
"I decided to join the Marines before September 11th, so when I was sitting at my college graduation, I never could have imagined I'd be leading a platoon in combat a couple years later. But even in a war I disagreed with, my work impacted the lives of other people every single day.
"I embraced my new job--even though it was completely unknown and a little frightening to me--and the job changed me. I never would have run for office if not for my experience in the Marines, so it made me the person I am today. The Marines gave me a purpose greater than myself, and finding purpose in your work is a great gift, so don't be afraid to embrace the unknown.
"It was also in Iraq that I learned my second lesson: friends can come in unexpected places.
"When we made it to Baghdad during the invasion, my first translator was named Saddam Hussein. I asked this college kid who was just about my age,
"Is that really your name?" He looked down and said, "Yes. It used to be really popular."
"Young Saddam Hussein, despite his suddenly unfortunate name, was a terrific translator and a good friend. After a short while he was reassigned and I was paired with a new translator, Mohammed.
"Mohammed was like me in so many ways: the same age, just finishing up college, we talked about American movies and his favorite actresses as much as we talked about the future of Iraq. Mohammed loved school, and wanted to become a college professor, but he wasn't of the right religion to do so in Baghdad, and he was nearly killed for speaking out against Saddam Hussein (not my young translator--the other Saddam Hussein).
"Our first assignment together was to produce a news program, Moulton & Mohammed, which was a sort of news talk show for Iraqis south of Baghdad. Before the Americans arrived, the TV station had simply played tapes from the Ministry of Information. The Iraqis had no concept of a free media.
"Mohammed and I found interesting stories and asked the tough questions the Iraqi people wanted to understand, like why there was no electricity or why their government wouldn't listen to them.
"To our surprise, the show became quite popular and Mohammed and I became minor celebrities. I even had to sign autographs in the streets! Let me tell you, nobody asks me to do that in Lynn.
"Mohammed and I came from vastly different backgrounds, but we became incredibly close friends and today he is like a brother to me. Mohammed taught me so many things that I would never have learned growing up among friends in Massachusetts.
"One thing I never received from my community back home was death threats, but for Mohammed, this because a regular occurrence for him and his family because of his work with us Americans, so I helped him move to the United States. Mohammed had put his life on the line, not only for his own country, but for ours, so it was the least I could do.
"He moved here to Massachusetts and lived with my family while he navigated the incredibly complex immigration process--and if President Gentile will let me speak for an additional three hours we can talk about all the things we need to do to fix that immigration process.
"So, as I headed back for my fourth and final tour to Iraq, Mohammed moved into my brother's bedroom, and my family, and the entire community, embraced him. My mom taught him how to cook, my Dad taught him how to shovel snow, our friends taught him how to drive, and Mohammed taught our entire community about how special America truly is to the oppressed around the globe.
"And I am proud to say that today, Mohammed has achieved his dream of becoming a college professor. He teaches English at Thomas Nelson Community College in Virginia. But he still comes back to Massachusetts to spend holidays with my family.
"So, friends come in unexpected places.
"Which brings me to my third lesson, about the power of community and the importance of service to that community.
"I embraced the unknown in Iraq, I embraced Mohammed as a new, if unlikely friend, and then our community embraced Mohammed. That's the power of community to give, but we also have to ask what we can give back.
"By virtue of the diplomas you will receive today, opportunities are about to open up for you like never before. You can and must take advantage of these opportunities, but remember that you have an obligation to give back to the community that made those opportunities possible. Go out see the world, but come back and be tomorrow's leaders here at home.
"When I joined the Marines at 22 years old, I thought I would serve the country for four years and that would be enough. I would check that box, and nobody would ever expect me to serve the country or the community again.
"But instead, the Marines taught me that I love to serve, and the experience instilled in me a commitment to serving my country for a lifetime.
"There are many of you who I know understand this appetite to continue to serve. In fact, this college has done a tremendous amount to invest in Lynn and the greater North Shore community. It has also placed a great emphasis on service and civic engagement.
"I want to take a moment to specifically thank the more than 50 veterans graduating here today. Thank you for your service. And today, as you graduate from college and dare to dream, thank you for investing in yourselves.
"My call to continue to serve came shortly after leaving the Marines. I'll be honest with you: I had no plans to go into politics. I didn't grow up in a political family; I wasn't a member of a political club; nor had I even volunteered on a campaign.
"But I fought in a war where I felt I saw the consequences of failed political leadership. I think Congress didn't know what they were doing when they got us into Iraq, and they didn't have our backs when we were there.
"There was one day, in fact, when one of my Marines said to me, "Sir, you ought to run for Congress someday so that this stuff doesn't happen again."
Now, he used a Marine term for "stuff," but you get what I mean.
"It seemed like a crazy suggestion at the time to someone who was--and still is--paying off his college loans, but that young Marine's words stuck with me. I couldn't complain about the status quo if I wasn't willing to do anything about it myself.
"When I decided to run for Congress in the summer of 2013, a lot of people told me that I shouldn't do it, and even if I did, that I couldn't win.
"After about eight months of working hard every single day, building a team, collecting donations, shaking hands at local diners and train stations, holding countless community meetings--and still six months out from the election--we commissioned a poll. The poll showed us that all those critics were probably right. I was down 54 points. Even my own pollster told me I should quit because it was statistically impossible to win.
"Yet, from the countless meetings I held across the district, I knew that our community agreed that our country was headed in the wrong direction. So while our strategy was wrong, I was confident that our vision was right.
"Elections are about your community as much as anything because it's literally the community's decision. I heard a promise in the community, and I knew it was worth fighting for.
"This commencement marks a new beginning for all of us. It's a new beginning for me as a new member of Congress in this community, and it's a new beginning for all of you as new college graduates. Like Mohammed and me, I hope you find something worth fighting for in your community.
"So those are three the lessons I want to share with you today: embrace the unknown, friends come in strange places, and find meaning and purpose in giving back to your community.
"But most of you will probably not remember all of that. Trust me, from experience, most of you will not remember what I've said here today. A few years from now--maybe even a few hours from now depending on your evening plans--you'll probably forget it. But if you don't remember what I've said, take a moment, right now, to remember how you feel: the pride at your tremendous achievement, the opportunity for you beyond these walls, and the love of your family and friends--and yes, of this community--that I hope you will return.
"Most commencement speeches are all about following your dreams and doing what you love. And that's important, and I hope you will. But more importantly, I hope you truly find love and purpose in doing something to help serve others and our community. Our community wants you to do that. We need you to do that. And there are many of us out there who will be proud to do it with you, together.
"My greatest mentor, the Late Reverend Peter J. Gomes, often reminded my classmates and me that college, at its best, teaches you not just how to make a living, but how to make a life.
"My hope for you is that each of you will make a decent living, but that each of you will make a truly wonderful life. How much of a living you make will be defined by how much you get for yourself. But how much of a life you make will be defined by how much you give to others.
"So take the opportunity this new beginning has given you, and embrace the unknown. Be open to the incredible people you will meet along the way. And remember to invest in the community that has invested so much in you. That's a life worth living. And it's a future that should make you proud.
"Thank you."
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