Thank you very much for that warm introduction, and thank you for the opportunity to be here. I was here to help kick this school year off and am indeed grateful to have an opportunity to come back and see it end like this. I've had the opportunity to go across the nation to talk about schools and education, and this school has given me the opportunity to talk to people all across the nation about the great work that you do here. Ladies and gentlemen at the dais, special guests, parents, and graduates, congratulations.

When I was here before, I had Alan Houston with me. I didn't bring him this time because I understand that you already have here in this school some great basketball players, the Mighty Panthers. [Applause.]

You've heard a lot of good speeches today. And I think I'm just going to say ditto to them because, after all, I am from Texas and in Texas we have rules that we go by. Some of them go like this: Never squat down when you're wearing your spurs. [Laughter.] If the horse dies while you're riding him, get off. [Laughter.] And third and finally, never miss a good opportunity to shut up. [Laughter.] I'm going to practice that last one today.

But allow me, before I do that, just to tell you how happy I am for you and how proud I am for you. All across the nation, you're making people who believe that schools like this can't be prosperous schools, you're making them out a big liar. You're saying to people all across this nation it can be done. It doesn't matter about all these other issues, it still can be done. You're not sitting here because you come from prosperous, big-time, rich families and traditions. You're sitting here because you committed yourself to do the work that you're required to do in order to get a great education.

And you are here because you have loving and caring, fantastic teachers. The teachers have been applauded tonight, but once again I'd just like to say to the teachers of this school how much I appreciate what you're doing. You've shown all across the world what can be done.

And parents, it is true that education does break the chain of poverty. It is no question about this. Many people see people get ahead by various means, but if you look carefully, all across this nation people are changing their circumstances just with the tool of education. Just working hard and getting a great education, people move forward. Without a great education, you have very little chance.

In fact, I look back on my circumstances when I grew up, and I remember the people who were in my graduating class. I remember also that there were some in my graduating class much smarter than I was. But I'm a testimony of hard work and dedication and commitment and never saying quit and saying if another person can get it done in an hour, it may take me six, but I'll do it, and at the end of it I'll be better.

This is your world. There's nothing out there that stops your progress but you. Hard work and dedication and making good decisions.

I'll make one more suggestion to you, and then I'm going to take my advice never to miss a good opportunity to shut up. I'm want to tell you about the experience that I had when I got a call from the White House offering me the opportunity to be a part of the President of the United States' cabinet, offering me—a country boy from Mississippi, who grew up in a highly segregated community—an opportunity to come and sit around the table with the people who were making decisions about how the world works. This was something I never would have envisioned.

But they said to me, first we have to make sure you can pass this FBI background check. And I'm saying this to you, young people, because I had a lot of opportunities to do dumb things and close the doors of a lot of opportunities. Nothing is going to be hidden. Those guys are really good at looking into your background. They investigated me all the way back to when I was in high school. And I'm just so blessed, you know, that I conducted myself in the right way.

My only point is this world is wide open to you. You've got a taste of what you can do here at Samuel Gompers. You are a product of hard work and commitment and caring teachers, and of this unbelievable principal. You have been well-equipped to go much further than where you are now, further than where you can even envision. You are your only limitation.

You can take the background and the education that you got right here at this great school and push the envelope and push the world further, and be an example to other boys and girls who are in the 10th grade and the 9th grade and the 11th grade here now. You can come back and stand on this very podium here and talk to them and help them with their careers.

So with that, I want to wind this down simply with leaving you with the best wishes and appreciation of the President of the United States and Mrs. Bush, who understand how important education is, and who adopted that as his number one domestic priority. And even as we fight to keep our land free, and even as we spend money in helping with homeland security, even as we chase terrorists all across the universe, he never, never forgets that it's very important how this nation handles its education. And we want schools all across this country to be the kind of school this great school is—Samuel Gompers Vocational and Technical High School. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

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