Welcome to Gaia! ::

Today, we sit here, students ready to graduate, people ready to take their next step in life. Within each one of you lies a dream of the future, some of you will continue to graduate school and further your education, while others will go make the next effort toward your dream careers. When we stepped on to this campus, all those years ago, we were taking the first step to fulfilling those dreams. Now that we reached the finish line it’s time to look back at the things that we learned, and make sure that we carry those things with us wherever we go in our lives.

I wanted to express today, not just what I had learned, I wanted my words to communicate the thoughts and feelings of everyone here, so that I could represent you. So I asked my friends, my peers, people I knew, and people I didn’t, what knowledge they were going to take with them to their new adventures in life, and what they had learned while they were here. These were some of the responses I got:

“If UCSD taught me anything, it would be that hard work, endurance, more hard work and perseverance will pay off in the future.”

“I learned to never give up, especially not when you are behind.”

This is especially important because we are not just as UCSD graduates, but as graduates of Thurgood Marshall College, the college that prides itself by not only creating scholars, but also citizens. TMC stands for academic excellence, community, diversity, public service, social equality and justice. We have been challenged with the opportunity to take our knowledge and use it use it for the benefit of others. After you leave today, and for the rest of your lives, you will find that opportunities to help your community will present themselves each and every day, and it is our duty to grasp those occurrences. While you attended this school, many of you became citizens of the UCSD community, whether it was organizing a community cleanup, participating in a rally, or even helping a friend with a homework assignment. As Thurgood Marshall Students, I know that you will continue to recognize the spirit of community that is represented on our logo. The picture depicts three hands each grasping the one in front by the wrist, and the meaning is clear; we must acknowledge that without the help of others we would not be where we are today. And now that we have succeeded we must turn around, and help others succeed as well so that they can continue the cycle.

Thurgood Marshall once said, “None of us got where we are solely by pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps. We got here because somebody -…- bent down and helped us pick up our boots.” I want you all take a moment to think about all the people who helped you get here today. Whether it was your family, your friends, or both, none of us could have made it without their guidance, without someone who would believe in us even when we could no longer believe in ourselves. Think of all the times that you weren’t sure if you would succeed, and yet somehow, in spite of everything, you all did. How each one of you accomplished your goals is not a mystery, the answers are behind you. Everyone who came here today had an impact on one of your lives. Think about what they did for you, and how now it’s your turn to go and help somebody else.