School of Criminal Justice
Student Address
Someone very special in my life once told me, "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off of your goals."
Life, it is often said, is the greatest mystery. How many times throughout our lives do we pause and ask ourselves: Why are we here? What is
our purpose? Or some other infinitely ponderous question. Here and now, as we stand teetering upon a great threshold welcoming us into a whole
new realm of independence, is no exception.
Today the many mysteries of life hang over us, but instead of casting a shadow, they are illuminating our world and setting a glow in our eyes
and in our hearts. If you think there is no mystery around you now, I invite you to ask yourself: How did we get here? Can you recall the
specifics? When we were full of hope, who shared in our elation? What will we do now? For some, the answer to that last question is simple.
Some of us are looking ahead to work or furthering our education and others are looking no farther than this summer or even later tonight.
But what about ten years from now? Twenty?
All that we do now directly affects every coming second, just as all that we have done in the past has brought us to this point.
A boy once approached Socrates with the desire to obtain wisdom. Without saying a word, Socrates led the boy down to the edge of the sea and
walked in, beckoning him to follow. When they were standing waist deep in the water, Socrates pushed the boy down, completely submerging his
head. He held him thus for a couple of minutes, until the boy was almost to the point of death, before letting him up. Sputtering and angry,
the boy demanded to know why Socrates had held him underwater for so long. In response, Socrates asked, "when you were under the water,
what did you want more than anything in the world?"
After a moment's reflection, the boy answered, "I wanted to breathe."
"Ah," Socrates replied. "When you desire wisdom and knowledge as much as you desired to breathe, it is then that you shall have it."
As we sit here, waiting to receive our diplomas, just ask yourself: what is it that you want the most in life?
We have been fortunate enough to have several wonderful influences shape us into the people we are today. First and foremost and most
importantly, we should show our undying gratitude to our family and friends sitting here today continuing to show their love and support.
They tolerated everything that we were able to put them through and they are here about to cry because it's finally over, so with that
I'd like to ask everyone one to give them a round of applause.
On my behalf however, as the President of the Criminal Justice Honor Society here at Rutgers-Newark, I would like to personally express
gratitude to three very important individuals: Vice President, Corina DeLucia, Treasurer Guadalupe Paramo, and Secretary Eleanor Agmana.
Being a great leader doesn't just mean having a high position; it means having the skills to work with people, because there really is no
"I" in team—we were the 4 quarters that made up one whole. I would like to thank the three of you for all the support this past year as
my fellow executive officers; it wasn’t exactly the easiest road but we made it. We did the best we could as a team, but most importantly
WE NEVER GAVE UP.
Before I get off the stage, I have a poem I'd like to read. I'd like to give the author credit, but the author is unknown—or anonymous
whichever is more convincing - either way he or she won't be getting paid for this.
"I believe in tomorrow. I believe in it because it has not yet come. And I am young, and youth always believes that tomorrow will be better
than today. I believe that I will do tomorrow what I failed to do today, and be then what I have not yet been.
I trust the future. Youth is always glorious because it trusts the future. Youth will attempt the impossible, scale the mountain that is
supposed to be inaccessible, and dare the thing that age will fear.
I believe in tomorrow because it is unspoiled. I have, nor has anyone, yet written on it with grimy finger or folly or selfishness or sin.
No wars have been fought in tomorrow. No lie has been told, or dishonest deed done in tomorrow. No man or woman has treacherously failed a
friend or loved one in tomorrow.
Tomorrow is one clean, beautiful day, the day on which dreams come true, on which the impossible things will yet be done, on which I shall
have the nerve and the will to be and to do that which was too much for me in the grim battle of today.
I believe in tomorrow."
On that note, thank you for your time and congratulations to the graduating class of 2009!!
|
