It may seem like a silly thing, moving that tassel from one side to the other- but to all of us here today, it means moving on to the next step in our lives, one huge step into the future.

 

To my fellow graduates, think about how far we've come.  Can you even recognize the person you were on those first days at San Diego State?

 

We stared cluelessly at our four-year academic plans, they didn't include a category entitled "the trials and tribulations of life"...

 

We had no idea where the next years would lead us.

 

We chose separate paths and made our own choices. I personally chose to get completely involved in this University take advantage of every opportunity available to me.

 

Every choice, whether the outcome was good or bad, contributed to who I am today.

 

At some point we each found a major that fit us.  I feel so lucky to have found a home in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Program.  It was through this curriculum that I was challenged, intrigued and inspired.  I know I am not alone when I say that the faculty and staff at this University have impacted my life in ways that cannot be measured.

 

The College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts is incredibly diverse.  Some of us here today will become Artists, CEOs or Journalists.  What we all have in common is that we are prepared.  We have all learned how to learn.

 

This University has given us the skills and knowledge to navigate our careers, and the ability to think critically and make our own decisions about the world around us.
It was a long road, and it wasn't easy.  We did not make it here because of luck, but we are lucky to be here.

 

Finishing college is not a feat any of us could have accomplished alone.
William Bulter Yeats once said,   "Think where man's glory most begins and ends.
Say my glory was, I had such friends."

 

How fortunate I am to stand here today, not only surrounded by all my friends, but also joined by my family, whom I consider my closest friends.  Our accomplishments are a direct result of the constant support we have received from the people gathered here to celebrate with us today.

 

We will be asked many times today to focus on the future, but I encourage us all to embrace the place we are in our lives at this very moment. 
It has been said that "what lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

 

What we have accomplished is great
Where we will go is indefinite
Where we are today is extraordinary