Following are the prepared remarks of U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige to Saturday's Livingstone College commencement ceremonies in Salisbury, N.C. Please note that the secretary may deviate from the text.

Thank you for that warm welcome. It is an honor to be a part of this very special day in your lives at the "Harvard of the South" -- if I may borrow from W.E.B. DuBois.

I thank the AME Zion Church for having the vision to create this college and the wisdom to continue supporting it -- and the cause of education.

President Freeman, Board of Trustees, distinguished faculty, distinguished alumni, family, friends and especially, the Class of 2002, this is a proud day. Today marks the culmination of many years of hard work.

I congratulate you for your accomplishments -- and I bring the warm, best wishes of President and Mrs. Bush.

I congratulate the parents, as well. Your loved ones -- your sons and daughters would not be here without your love, without your sacrifice, and most of all -- without your belief in their hopes and dreams. This day belongs to you as much as the graduates.

Class of 2002, as you leave, you take with you with many treasured memories of your college days -- memories such as hanging out at The Bear's Den -- showing your school spirit at The Horseshoe -- lining up for seconds of that delicious, leaves-em-beggin-for-more food -- at The Caf. I just know you're going to miss fish Fridays!

You leave with memories of cheering on the team that, in 1892, right out there on the lawn, played against a team that shall go unnamed, in the very first black intercollegiate football game in the nation -- the mighty Blue Bears.

As you leave you also take with you priceless memories of your time spent in the Poets and Dreamers Garden -- hallowed ground where generations of Livingstone students have drawn inspiration and courage from the greats who have gone before -- greats like Frederick Douglas and Langston Hughes -- Lorraine Hansberry and Martin Luther King -- and Livingstone's founder and first president whose wisdom and leadership reverberate still today: Dr. Joseph Charles Price.

You leave with all those memories. But most of all, graduates, you leave here knowing that these four years beneath these maples and these oaks have prepared you well to lead boldly and to make a lasting difference in this most challenging new world.

This class may be uniquely qualified to experience those challenges. No graduating class in the history of this school has faced such a national tragedy as that of last September 11th.

Yet, as the world reeled in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, you joined thousands of good men and women all over the world -- in the very best known anecdote to hatred: prayer.

One of those who joined you was President Bush. His steely courage, his strength, and his commitment to justice come from prayer.

I know many of you have spent the months since September 11th in deep reflection, thinking about the value of life, what it really means, and what matters most.

The world you are entering is a smaller and faster world. Much smaller and faster than the world of those who came before you.

Way back when Custer was defeated at Little Big Horn, it took nearly two weeks for the news to get out. If that happened today, people from Montana to Mozambique would be watching it live on television. Just as we did on September 11.

It's a more transparent world. And, at times, a confusing world. But no matter how big, or fast, or confusing -- some things never, ever change:

Things like the importance of family, faith and service. And that's what I'd like to talk to you about today.

Now I know what you're thinking: Here comes the advice! Fear not. I yet remember that Socrates gave advice and they poisoned him for it. But you must admit that I am bound by tradition to say some words of encouragement.

So allow me to share some lessons I've learned. And I'll be brief.

The first lesson is: Strong families are the backbone of our society. Home is where we learn the values that shape us.

It is where we get the encouragement to set high goals and to work hard to achieve them.

It is in our families where we learn that being a good mom or dad is the most important job that any of us could ever have.

I know this from my own experience. Even now I draw strength that springs from my parents and the strong and safe family environment they provided. Even now, the bond of family -- forged in my childhood -- still binds. Even now.

But being a good parent is hard work -- just ask your parents. Look at them! They're happy. They're smiling. But they're tired. They've been working hard and shelling out cash for many years. And right now, they're probably thinking along the lines of Bill Cosby's words when he said: "Commencement means to go forth. But 'go forth' does not mean 'back home.' "

Your parents love you, but there are limits.

The second lesson I've learned is: In all we do, we must let faith be the fire within us.

One of my favorite parables comes from the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 8, verses 5-8. I'll share it with you.

"A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell along the path, and was trodden under foot. And the birds of the air devoured it.

"And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away because it had no moisture.

"And some fell among thorns. And the thorns grew with it and choked it.

"And some fell into good soil and grew, and yielded a hundred-fold."

Class of 2002, you are the seeds that fell on the good ground, and sprang up. That doesn't mean you won't suffer disappointments and sorrows. You will. That doesn't mean you will get everything you want in life. You won't.

But you will have your faith to carry you through. And you will have your faith to give you purpose and strength in the good times and the bad.

For the faithful, no challenge is too difficult -- as Abraham Lincoln so famously acknowledged when he said: "Without the assistance of the Divine Being. I cannot succeed. But with that assistance, I cannot fail."

As the fortunate seeds that fell on the good soil, graduates, your duty now is to help those other seeds -- the seeds that fell on the rocks and on the thorns and on the poor soil.

Long after he achieved international fame and respect, Dr. Joseph Charles Price said he owed much to one man -- William E. Dodge -- who reached out and helped him early on, when he needed it most.

Dr. Price never forgot how his life could have turned out differently if not for that one good seed -- that fell on good soil and sprang up -- and helped the seed that had fallen by the wayside.

Now, as a prominent businessman of his day, William E. Dodge was a seed who fell on really, really good soil. Better soil than I'll ever see.

But William E. Dodge recognized his duty to give back, and he did it.

Your duty is to do the same.

And that's the third lesson: Make serving, not receiving -- giving, not getting -- an important part of your life. Success is more than just personal accomplishment.

No one wins if we don't watch out for each other. Everyone wins if do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Many of you have already taken that message to heart -- giving your time and your talents to volunteer and make a difference in this community. Clearly, you are taking seriously your spiritual imperative to help our neighbors on the Jericho roads of life.

I'm especially proud of those of you who are going into teaching. And I want to extend a special thanks to those of you who will fan out to schools across this nation to teach. You have my deepest gratitude.

You also have a great tool with which to work: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 -- that came from the vision of President Bush and the bipartisan work of Congress.

It calls upon our nation to commit itself to the bold goal of an education system in America that educates all of its children. A system that leaves no child behind.

Teaching will never make you rich. I know -- both my parents were teachers. And I've spent a lifetime in education. But our teachers are making a profound difference in our nation -- one child at a time.

Earlier I spoke of Dr. Price. He was a man of courage and genius who, as his stature grew, could have chosen many paths in life. People offered him high offices. More lucrative jobs. Even a seat in Congress.

But each time he turned them down, saying, I'm already following a higher calling: Teaching.

Dr. Price knew what renowned World War II General Omar Bradley knew.

General Bradley said: "The teacher is the real soldier of democracy. Others can defend it, but only (teachers) can make it work."

I urge each of you to follow the lead of teachers. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Mentor a child. Visit the elderly. Share your faith. Do whatever you can, wherever you are to make your community a better place for everyone to live.

The opportunities to serve are limitless. And so are the rewards.

Each of you carries a special legacy of duty and honor handed down from the missionary activist who gave this college his name -- David Livingstone -- and the daring leader who gave this college his life -- Joseph Charles Price.

One roamed the continent of Africa. The other roamed these grounds. But both were explorers of the possibilities of human kindness and the power of hope -- so beautifully summed up in Dr. Price's words when he said: "I don't care how dark the night; I believe in the coming of the morning."

No matter where your diplomas and your dreams take you in this world, Class of 2002, that legacy will follow. As a prod of conscience, and as a reminder of what is really important in life.

My final hope is that each of you will always remember what is important, and that your lives in the years to come will be a testimony to the transforming power of honor and of decency and of compassion for others.

Good luck and God bless you. God bless Livingstone College. And God bless America.

Thank you very much.

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