Thank you for winning the English prize.

These words were said at the graduation ceremony of the Distance Education Center, which was held in Saratoga Hot Springs on October 6th, 2006/KLOC-0.

President Moore, faculty, university staff, graduates, family and friends, first of all, I want to thank you for coming here today. From the outside world, it seems that students of Imperial State University get their degrees independently, but I know from my own experience that a lot of help, support and encouragement are needed from registration to graduation. Thanks to my mentor, Sergia Coffey, she has never been too busy to be a cheerleader and a guide. Thanks to my mentor for taking me on the most enjoyable journey in my life. Thanks to the staff of the distance learning center; Many students here can attest to your kindness and diligence. Thanks to the students who participated in my online course. Your contribution makes it easy to pass the most difficult subjects. Thanks to my family, they celebrate every victory with me and encourage me when I am too tired to encourage myself.

Instead of talking about what I learned at Imperial State College, I want to tell you what I didn't learn when I was a student. Dee Hock, the founder of Visa, may have said it best, "The problem is never how to put new and innovative ideas into your mind, but how to take out old ones." Three outdated beliefs have kept me from pursuing a bachelor's degree for many years. They are (1) getting a college degree means choosing a lifelong career, (2) I am the kind of person who can only study in the classroom, and (3) having a family and a full-time job means no time for college.

Twenty years ago, I had the opportunity to enter the university immediately after graduating from high school. But I didn't go. I am 18 years old. Like all 18 years old people, I know everything. I don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life. I'm worried that a college degree will lock me in a career I may not want in the future. Know everything, that's all! I'm worried that a college education will lock me in, and getting this degree has opened the door that I never knew existed. Not only career opportunities, but also the whole field of thought. The way I see the world has changed ... and the way I see myself. Thank you, Margaret Mary, for encouraging me to give myself a chance to embark on this road.

When I registered at Imperial State College, I still had some doubts. I thought, "I'm too old to do this ... I can't put this above other things!" " I find that if you say this in front of others, they will agree with you. "Yes, you are too old!" They said, "I can never do it." Somehow, you heard subtle information, and maybe you can't do it either.

But those of us who graduated today, we know the other side of this idea. Bit by bit, a piece of paper, a course ... we find that we are doing this. The most important thing is ... besides other roles we play ... we have created this role for ourselves: we are college students. Today we joined the ranks of college graduates.

So thank you all for coming here today. In my academic journey, you are often invisible, but you are very real, which makes this day possible. I am deeply grateful for this.

For reference, but not what you need ~ ~ ~ I hope it can inspire you.