Thank you for that warm welcome. President Murray, members of the Board of Trustees, distinguished guests, members of the faculty, parents, and members of the class of 2004: thank you for inviting me to join in your celebration today. I bring the congratulations and best wishes of President and Mrs. Bush.

You have worked hard and should be proud of your accomplishments. You made it! All of you will carry away today treasured friendships and lasting memories from your years at Grand Valley State: lots of late nights and early classes; picking up a copy of the Lanthorn on Thursday mornings for the latest campus news. And I know you're going to remember watching your football team win their second consecutive division title!

Commencement is a time of celebration for your families and parents as well. I know we can never thank parents enough. Graduates, if you are looking for a full-time job, with endless challenges and long hours, become a parent. It's hard work--just ask your parents. They're tired. So are their wallets! They've been shelling out cash for you for years. And right now, they're probably thinking of Bill Cosby's words when he said: "Commencement means to go forth. And 'forth' is not 'back home.'" So let's thank your parents and families for their love and support.

I am bound by tradition to offer a few words of advice to today's graduates. Now is the time to reflect on time spent and lessons learned, to revel in your accomplishments, and to imagine the future.

Remember this going forward: your future will hold your share of successes and failures. But don't be deterred. You are heading into the world armed with a great education.

I have no doubt that great things are in store for this class. You leave here today well prepared for the challenges you will face. You must be prepared for unexpected opportunities as well. Let me tell you, I never thought that becoming a member of the president's Cabinet was in the cards for a young boy who grew up in segregated schools in Mississippi. Washington, D.C. was the last place I expected to find myself at this point. The unexpected opportunity might turn your plans upside down and take you down a path you never anticipated, but you will grow and learn as you travel your path.

The second lesson is the importance of giving and service to others. We are at an important time in our nation's history. Americans have demonstrated, through countless acts of kindness, that our country's greatest strength lies in the hearts and souls of our citizens.

Today, I am asking each of you to answer the call to service by volunteering and helping those in need. Through your acts of service to others, you will be joining the gathering momentum of millions of acts of kindness and generosity that are strengthening our country one heart and one soul at a time.

Clearly, this is a university with heart. Grand Valley students have already heard the call to serve and are putting that calling into action in this community--and throughout the nation.

Participation in volunteer and service programs is growing every year.

During the past school year, as many as 5,500 Grand Valley students chose to volunteer and use their time and talents in service of others.

I was inspired when I read about one Grand Valley student who has spent her last three spring breaks volunteering around the country instead of tanning in the sun on the beach.

Elaine Vandenburg is here today, graduating with a communications degree. She said her time volunteering was an "amazing experience." She said, "It didn't matter who you were, what you looked like, or what your parents did or didn't do."

Elaine, I want to thank you--and all of the graduates--for your service to others.

When we serve others we learn about ourselves. We help to create a more loving and peaceful world. We provide compassion and caring in lives that may have been lonely or misguided. And we unlock the strength in those who doubted their own potential.

And, Elaine, I promise I'll stop picking on you soon. But I have to mention that you were right about one other thing.

Nowhere is that potential greater than in the lives of our children. As a lifelong educator, I cannot let the opportunity pass to ask today's graduates to consider making a contribution to the development of our nation's greater resource--our children.

Education is the foundation of our freedom. President Bush understands this well, and he worked with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass the education reforms in the No Child Left Behind Act. This law will strengthen our nation's education system so that all students receive a great education. To borrow Elaine's words again: it shouldn't matter who you are, what you look like, or whether your parents are wealthy or poor. But it will take all of us, working together, to help make this goal a reality. So I ask you to consider becoming a mentor, a tutor or even a teacher. I guarantee that you will find that the reward outweighs the investment tenfold.

Knowledge must lead to action. We must be willing to take up the responsibility of leadership, to step forward when needed, to answer the call. We must fight for the oppressed, the poor, the sick, the aged and those without a voice, whether in this country or abroad. We must recognize that our personal and national leadership can create a world of care, consideration, respect and security.

The kind of person you become--that matters. The kind of world we create is a product of the kind of people we become and remain. This is a world in desperate need of tenderness, consideration, respect, understanding and empathy. We have a duty to each other. As the ancient Greeks said, we must "cultivate our humanity," and become brothers and sisters of all mankind.

Let us use this day, this moment of accomplishment, to stop and survey the horizon. Then, after our celebration, let us walk from this stage and into the future together.

Good luck, Class of 2004. God bless you. And may God continue to bless America.

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