2017 Commencement Remarks
Fred Watson
Thank you Dr. Young. Good evening dignitaries, faculty, staff, graduates, proud family members, spouses and guests. It is my honor, on behalf of the SUNY Orange Board of Trustees, to welcome you to the College’s 67th annual Commencement ceremony.
As I look out over a sea of proud graduates this evening, I am inspired by the magnitude of what each of you is celebrating. Graduating from SUNY Orange is a big deal, because you have completed a very rigorous and challenging curriculum. Our outstanding faculty and staff demanded that you give your best, and you delivered.
Your attendance tonight is a testament to your desire to work hard, your ability to persevere and your ambition to succeed. Regardless of whether you are 18 or 58, or likely somewhere in between, you have now completed one segment of your life’s journey, and are embarking upon that next phase. You should absolutely celebrate this moment.
As you depart, you can take with you the comfort of knowing that a community college graduate, over his or her working lifetime, earns approximately Four Hundred Thousand dollars more than a high school graduate. If you acquire your bachelor’s degree, that total soars to approximately Nine Hundred Thousand dollars. Clearly, as you’ve figured out, there is significant value to education in general, and to your SUNY Orange degree in particular.
A portion of you are heading off to a four-year college or university to pursue that bachelor’s degree, and others of you are stepping into the workforce so that your SUNY Orange degree can immediately start paying dividends.
Each time I visit either of our campuses, whether for business or other event, I am inspired by the atmosphere of excellence that surrounds all that you do. The activities ongoing in our classrooms and laboratories are second to none. We have professors who have received SUNY and regional awards for excellence in teaching. We have students who have been similarly recognized at the state and regional levels.
Several of our academic programs have completed stellar accreditation reviews in recent months, meaning outside agencies have examined those programs inside and out, and determined they meet the highest standards of academic and clinical excellence. In our health professions programs, that excellence manifests itself in outstanding pass rates for students on their certification exams.
Students and faculty in every discipline are pushing the envelope every day. Learning is alive here at SUNY Orange and I hope each of you continues to carry with you the passion for learning that you’ve displayed during your time here.
Please know that the Trustees, College administration, faculty and staff are proud to have watched you grow, watched you achieve and watched you succeed. We have seen your potential and we know that great things are ahead for you. We will be watching with great pride.
Congratulations, and best of luck in all that you do. Enjoy the rest of the evening.