Keynote Address
Winter Commencement,
Illinois Central College
December 17, 2011
I would like to thank the ICC board, the President, my
esteemed colleagues, and, most importantly, the graduates of 2011, for giving
me the opportunity to speak today. When ICC’s President, Dr. Erwin, asked me to
be the keynote address speaker for Winter Commencement, I was most humbled. As a former graduate of this college, I was
honored and excited to share what this college has done for me—not just as a
faculty member, but also as a former student.
In 1990, fresh out of Stephen Decatur High School, I was a
discouraged. I was at an all-time low. My friends were all attending four-year
colleges and universities. I, on the
other hand, had failed to accomplish a strong showing on the ACT
exam—specifically in the area of math.
Math was always a struggle for me—well at least it was after the 3rd
grade. I often share with my students a story
of when my 3rd grade teacher thought it would be a great idea to
have all of us recite our multiplication tables verbally in front of the
class. As a reward, any student who
accomplished the goal would be invited to attend a pizza party the following
week. Now, I don’t know about you, but
in 3rd grade a pizza party is “rock star!” All we could talk about on the playground, the
bus, and in class was the fact that we would all be attending a special pizza
party the following week. The day
finally came. There I stood, to the
right of my teacher’s desk, standing in front of the entire class. I fumbled, mumbled, and bumbled. I just couldn’t do it. My mind went blank. By the end of that class period, I, along
with three other students, was not going to the pizza party. I was shafted.
I was defeated. I was hungry! For the first time in my life, I felt
education had failed me. My Mom
can remember this day vividly—I came home, slammed the front door so hard that
the two windows on the sides of the door rattled. I said, “I hate math!” My Mother instantly waved her index finger,
saying “we don’t use the word, ‘hate’ in this household!” I told her, “I don’t care, I still hate it!” Boy, was I difficult child. From that moment on, math equaled one thing: no pizza!
My attitude had shifted.
From 3rd grade on, every time I entered a math class, I would
think, “I hate math!” My grades and
achievement in the subject continued to decline. You can only imagine how it felt for my
parents, who always encouraged me to study and work hard, for me to bring a
report card to them with mostly A’s and B’s and a C, or even occasionally a D in
math.
Quite simply, I felt the door had been slammed in my face. My negative attitude towards math had begun
and it festered for a large portion of my education. I can even remember being placed in a
developmental math class in high school. The textbook’s cover had a photo of a
large door, with a shiny brass doorknob.
Students quickly dubbed the course “Doorknob Math.” Another door slammed in my face. Until I became a student at ICC, I could care
less about the subject.
Many of you may be wondering how my menacing math memory has
anything to do with Illinois Central College.
ICC changed my attitude towards math and my abilities and general. So
what does it mean-- really mean—to attend a community college. Well, for starters, it means you have a much
greater opportunity of being employed.
With unemployment currently hovering at 8.6 percent and a recession—some
dub as the ‘great recession’—looming on the foreseeable horizon, many might
ask, does a college degree really help me?
Well, let’s take a look at the recent report by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. Did you know:
·
While the national unemployment rate is
currently 8.6%, college graduates have a 4.3% rate?
·
Joblessness among college graduates
has been steadily declining even during the past few years?
·
And those with only a high school or no high
school diploma currently sit at 14.6%?
Four out of ten graduating high school students start their
college careers at community colleges, according to the College Board. In fact, two-year colleges are among the
largest and fastest growing segment of higher education. Needless to say, a lot of students are
choosing the community college as their first step in advancing their
educational aspirations.
Illinois Central College affords many benefits to its
students, including the opportunities to complete your basic requirements, give
you time to define your major and explore different fields, strengthen your
general education proficiencies, and, of course, do this at a much lower
cost. A former ICC student of mine
recently made an appointment with me to review her resume. As a recent graduate from Purdue University,
she has a bright future ahead of her. While
at ICC, she fully immersed herself in a variety of activities and those
activities later led to some impressive experiences, including outstanding
internships, foreign travel, and numerous accolades, both educationally and personally. That student has a message for current and
now graduating students—you have made a smart move in attending Illinois
Central College. She explained in our
meeting that she was able to those acquire scholarships, internships, and other
professional positions, all due to the strong foundation ICC helped her build. And further, she is leaving college without
debt—something that very few students can claim.
I’ve often said that community college students are among
the hardest working students on the face of the planet. And I mean that, with great sincerity. Years ago, I taught at a four-year university. As I’ve always done, shortly before spring
break, I would ask how many of my students had vacation plans. In my experience, 80% of my four-year college
students were planning a spring break trip.
Not at ICC. When polling students
here, generally only 2-4 in a class of 25 planned to take a trip to a far-away
beach location, where they would party like a rock star… and have their pizza,
too. Our students are hard workers. They have one, two, and sometimes even three
jobs. And while they’re working, they’re
also managing their family commitments.
Some have children. Some have
spouses. Some are caring for ailing
grandparents or are assuming the care of younger siblings. Our students work. And they do all of this while attending
classes—often full-time. I am so
inspired by the students at Illinois Central College. You, as new graduates of this college, should
be commended for the life lessons and skills you’ve acquired in your time here
at ICC. You have learned how to
multitask. You have learned how to manage time. You have learned how to remain
focused. You have learned how to
prioritize. These are lessons that few,
in the first two years of college, learn.
And that’s exactly why you, as community college graduates, will go into
the next stage of life with great success.
In many ways, I’ve always viewed the community college to be
similar to the Statue of Liberty of higher education. The statue’s inscription reads:
"Give me your tired, your poor, your
huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send
these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
As a student,
I felt the door was slammed in my face in 3rd grade. And it was, in many ways, padlocked until I
arrived at Illinois Central College in 1990.
When walking through the front entrance of ICC, I had no idea how much
it would transform my entire life. The
professors at this college encouraged, challenged, and cultivated my
educational appetite. Their love of
teaching was evident in every class, and the dedication among staff and
administration was also most evident. I
even had a math teacher—Dr. Preller—who did the unthinkable—improved my
attitude towards the dreaded subject.
While he never rewarded me with pizza, I did walk out of his class believing
that I could do better. It was the
beginning of a most promising and beautiful journey. Illinois Central College became my golden
door. I still say today, I feel
enormously blessed to have the opportunity work in such a fine, and even
transformative, educational institution.
I hope you all view Illinois Central College to be your golden
door. You’ve now entered a time in your
life when things can and will happen. So
go forth—and believe in yourself.
Believe in your dreams. Be a
proud graduate of Illinois Central College, just like I am. And as Winston Churchill once said, “never
give up! Never give up! Never give up!”
