Secretary Duncan talks with students before commencement at Navajo Technical College. Official Department of Education photo by Paul Wood.
Endless possibility. That’s the motto of the Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint. N.M., and it’s more than just a catchy slogan: The students there are proving that with education, possibilities are endless.
Secretary Duncan visited NTC last Saturday to give the commencement address at graduation and to see the great work of NTC students. Duncan left the visit inspired to learn that NTC graduates are working in digital manufacturing, supercomputing and DNA research and are employed on contracts for NASA, Boeing and others.
While many other higher ed institutions that serve mostly minority populations often fail to graduate even half of their students, NTC graduates more than 85 percent. Prior to the graduation ceremony, Duncan visited NTC classrooms and even danced during a reception later in the day.
Visiting Native American reservations “are easily among the most rewarding and uplifting things that I have done over the past 3½ years,” Arne said at commencement. “I have walked in beauty with the Navajo people in this land, and it is an opportunity I will never forget.”
Click here to watch Secretary Duncan’s commencement speech, and watch a short summary below:
Click here for an alternate version of the video with an accessible player.
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
I can’t tell from the video whether there were students with disabilities at the college. But this is the kind of college that could be wonderful for many people with disabilities and yet the opportunities they offer are so rarely open to them. I hope the endless possibility was made available for the, too.
Very inspirational to watch.