WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Susan Collins today delivered the commencement address during the 107th Commencement of Husson College in Bangor. At the Bangor ceremony, the College will award 233 undergraduate degrees, 108 master’s degrees, and two honorary doctorates to Woodrow W. Cross, CEO of Cross Insurance and the Reverend Dana Kennedy, a retired Episcopal minister and author. Seen here in the photo from left to right are Dr. Teresa Steele, Dean of the School of Health, Susan Marie Steele who received her Master of Science in Nursing, and Catherine Steele Willey.
Following is the full text of Senator Collins’ address to the graduates.
“President Beardsley, Chairman Sawyer, members of the Board, distinguished faculty and staff, parents, family, friends, and, most of all, the Class of 2006, it is a great pleasure to join you for the Husson College commencement. Congratulations to the members of this outstanding class. You did it!
“Congratulations also to the two outstanding Husson alumni awarded honorary doctorates today. Woodrow Cross and the Reverend Dana Kennedy exemplify the Husson spirit of accomplishment and service, and the honors are richly deserved.
“And, of course, I must congratulate Coach Winkin for reaching that amazing milestone of 1,000 college baseball victories. He exemplifies the great Husson spirit of combining knowledge and determination to achieve success. I know all Husson fans join me celebrating his achievement, and in promising to be reasonably patient in his pursuit of number 2,000.
“We also join President Beardsley in thanking Richard Dyke for his outstanding act of generosity. He exemplifies that great Husson spirit of gratitude and generosity, of giving back to those who helped make success possible.
“Our gratitude and joy today are tempered by the loss of a wonderful friend, scholar, and leader, Bob Smith, who played such a critical role of Husson’s growth and success. All of us who were privileged know Bob miss him terribly but know the pride that he would be feeling today as another outstanding class of students graduates.
“The typical commencement address includes two standard features. The first is a promise to be brief. I hereby make that promise. I must caution you, however, that the Senate’s standard for brevity is different; sort of like dog years.
“The second is to include a combination of predictions and advice. But I am mindful that I don’t remember anything about what the speaker said at my own college commencement, not even his name. So I approach that task with humility.
“This college has a history that is truly inspiring. It began more than a century ago as the Shaw School of Business on the second floor of a building in downtown Bangor, offering instruction in such cutting-edge technologies of the day as typing and telegraphy.
“Since then, Husson College has grown tremendously, both in the size of this beautiful campus and in the range of the courses and degrees offered. It has grown because, though all those years, Husson has remained true to its founding principles of responding to needs, recognizing opportunities, and delivering real value.
“My prediction for you is that your Husson education will deliver real value for you your entire life. It will be the gift the keeps on giving. I have never known a school, a faculty or a student body more focused on preparing for a professional career than here at Husson. Husson truly is unusual in its dedication to this aspiration and its clear sense of purpose.
“It is a quality I saw every day during my time here at the Center for Family Business. I remember Missy Chasse, my wonderful work study student from Ashland, who came from a family business background. She shared everything she knew, and took in everything she could learn. I see that same quality of giving back as you receive among those of you in the school of health, school of business, school of education and liberal arts majors as well. This is a quality I know you graduates and alumni cherish and will continue.
“I have seen in Husson students an emerging sense of personal pride, a sense of self worth second grounded in knowledge and confidence. I don’t exactly know what brings it on: whether it’s the hands-on learning, the personal attention from the faculty, the friendships that develop with other students – your lab mates, roommates, teammates -- or whether it is self-discovery. But it is a wonderful quality you have nurtured and developed. It is one of the greatest gifts of a Husson education. As I travel throughout Maine and across the nation I find Husson alumni from every walk of life who possess that invaluable sense of self worth. I see it in you.
“Husson is more than a pretty campus in a small city that shines, as Thoreau put it, “like a star on the edge of night.” Husson is a network. It is a network that includes teachers, architects, bankers, nurses and therapists, counselors, criminal justice administrators, hospital CEOs and doctors, corporate executives and entrepreneurs, heads of architectural firms, senior law partners and entrepreneurs. It is a network that reaches across our state and around the world. You graduates are now part of that network.
“Husson delivers because it is always moving forward. The changes in the ten years since I worked here are astonishing and have strengthened this college. If there is one thing Husson graduates don’t need to be told, it’s that the world is changing every day. A big part of the Husson spirit is anticipating change. We have business graduates who have become architects and attorneys, nurses who are hospital CEOs, and teachers who have become ministers. Think of your Husson degree as more than proof that you can do one thing well. By developing the skills to perfect one profession you have learned the discipline, leadership skills, and problem-solving capabilities to change with the times. The Husson spirit is not just about being part of change, but of leading it.
“The changes that lie ahead are profound, and they will require the full measure of the Husson spirit. I challenge you to put the critical thinking skills you have developed here at Husson to work on the complex national and global issues that we must confront.
· Think about international affairs and the balance between spreading democracy and women’s rights versus staying out of harm’s way.
· Think about energy and the environment. Be willing to be rational and to look for compromise that recognizes your personal role.
· Think about education and how we assess how well we are doing. Think about the trade-offs between assuring every student a shared curriculum versus giving quality teachers the freedom to teach in the way they believe is best.
· Think about the challenges of a healthcare system where the ideal solutions may exceed our ability to pay, compounded by the aging of our population.
· Think about entitlements versus taxation, private property versus the common good, freedom of personal choice versus the laws and traditions that protect the rights of others.
· Think about war and peace and terrorism, and about the difference between impassioned, informed advocacy and partisan bickering. Think about the price of freedom.
“I challenge you to apply your Husson education not just to the great issues of our times, but also in your personal lives, to help you do things wisely, to help you make good decisions, be it a difficult family or professional decision, or an ethical or political decision. That is ultimately what a college education is all about. That is what your Husson education has prepared you for.
“Today, each of you has met the great challenge of earning a college degree. As you go forward in pursuit of the next goal, I know you are well aware that you didn’t get this far by yourselves. The people here at Husson have done more than just give you a great education. They have filled you with that great Husson spirit.
“And those people here in the audience beaming with pride – your parents, your family, and your friends -- had a lot to do with it, too. Their support and encouragement helped you meet this challenge, and they will be there for the challenges to come. Let everything you do from this day forward honor their sacrifices and belief in you.
“The diplomas you receive today represent a great deal of hard work on your part. They also represent a great debt you owe those who made it possible. There are many ways you can repay this debt. May I suggest one?
“Stay in Maine.
“You graduates come from 123 Maine towns, eight states, and six countries. I know you are eager to get out there and show the world what you can do. I urge you to apply your talent, energy, and enthusiasm right here in Maine. Whether at the beginning of your career or later on, Maine needs what you have to offer.
“A final piece if advice: Serve your community.
“Maine needs communities that are attractive to the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the risk-takers who will create the businesses and jobs of the future. Whether it’s joining the volunteer fire department or ambulance crew, helping out at your local school or hospital, serving on your town council or planning board, or participating in a service club, your community needs you.
“In a 1978 commencement address at the University of Virginia, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall said the privilege of attending college brings with it, and I quote, “an unceasing responsibility to use your knowledge and training for improving the lives of others.”
“For more than a century, the great Husson spirit – the spirit of accomplishment and service, of knowledge and determination, and of gratitude and generosity -- has inspired generations of graduates to meet that responsibility. It is a spirit that lives within the Class of 2006. Again, graduates, congratulations and good luck.”
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