Grads: reach out and make a difference
“What you give is more important than what you have,” Prest says in speech
The Daily Mail
May 22, 2009

GREENPORT — More than 300 students from Columbia-Greene Community College earned their diplomas Thursday night in front of family members, friends, college faculty and representatives from local and state legislative bodies at the college’s 40th commencement exercises.

Before the students crossed the stage in the college gymnasium and were handed their diplomas, they heard words of wisdom from numerous speakers with one overall message; their degrees marked a great achievement and their years in school will prepare them for the future.

Kyri Dunning, who received a decree in applied sciences and was chosen to address the graduating class and audience, said that 2009 was a year of change.

He said the inauguration of President Barack Obama in January showed that the country was capable of evolving.

“Anyone is capable of achieving anything he or she sets their mind to,” he said.

He said he and his fellow graduates will be able to make it through the challenging economic times thanks to the knowledge they gained while working towards their degrees.

“It may be a struggle at first, but know this, every cloud has a silver lining, it is just a matter of where can we get our silver lining,” he said.

Columbia-Greene Community College President James Campion told the graduates that he hoped they kept a good ear to use in their careers and all of their pursuits. Campion said he hoped the graduates would think about how their education will enhance their life accomplishments.

Nancy Patwzwahl thanked the college’s faculty and trustees as well as state Legislators for their support and hard work throughout the past school year.

She told the graduates that the should feel proud of their accomplishment earned by graduating.

“Today more than ever,” she said, “education plays a critical role in our society.”

State Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, R,C,I-Red Hook, said community colleges will be vitally important in the State’s economic rebound.

Molinaro said the State of New York recognizes the opportunities each graduate will bring with them as they continue their education and enter the workforce.

He told the graduates not to fear making mistakes because life is about rising after a fall.

“You will be confronted with challenges you will think are insurmountable, but just please note that through the education you have earned at this institution, the love and support of your friends and family and through your own innovation, your own energy, your own dedication, you will overcome those challenges. You will see great success and always remember that life and success is always about lifting yourself up again, and that is how you will be judged,” he said.

Greene County Legislator and Chairwoman of the Education Committee Dorothy Prest, R-Catskill, asked each graduate to think about a person who inspires them, as her father inspired her. Prest said her father taught her that what a person gives is more important than what he or she may have.

“If you give unselfishly of yourselves, you will always be a success,” she said.

Columbia County Board of Supervisors Chairman Arthur Baer, R-Hillsdale, reminded the graduates that learning is a lifelong process.

Terry Valentine, associate professor and transitional studies coordinator, gave the graduates one “last lecture.”

“Never be bored,” she said, “there is always one more book to read, one more idea to explore, one more person to whom you can reach out to make a difference.”

Long-time teacher and college tutor Harold Morrill received the Life Long Learning Award at the ceremony.