Speeches

15 May 2010

Luis Ubiñas Delivers Commencement Address at The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College

Thank you to Juliet for that very kind introduction. It is a wonderful privilege for me to be here.

I stand here in amazement. There was a time not so long ago, when this campus was a few buildings, a few dozen professors and a fraction of the students we see today. Back then, this beautiful campus would not have seemed possible.

But under President García's extraordinary leadership, UTB/TSC has grown nearly eight-fold. Its student body has more than doubled and its academic standing has improved dramatically. I salute your president for constructing—in both buildings and ideas—an institution that combines the best elements of a community college with the academic standards of a university. She has turned UTB/TSC into a true "community university"—and as a community, let's take a moment to show President García our appreciation.

Let me say one other thing about your great president: Because of her leadership there is no fence running through this campus. It would have been easy to let this campus, and by extension, this country, be separated by walls, dividing this campus as they divide people. President García refused to let that happen. As a result, the bonds between the students and faculty and your brothers and sisters across the border remain as strong as ever.

It's no small wonder that because of Juliet's tenacity, passion and enthusiasm, Time magazine recently chose her as one of the top 10 university presidents in the United States—an honor for her but also an honor for all of you and this campus.

So when President García asked me to speak here today, I was honored by the request to be part of this proud day. I said yes, because this is a special place. Seventy percent of you receiving diplomas today are first-generation university students. Many sitting here are the first member of their family to graduate from college. For some of you, this may even be the first commencement speech you've ever heard. Among those graduating today are brothers and sisters, and parents sitting alongside their sons and daughters—two generations of degrees in one day.

I know the pride that must be in this space today. I remember my own mother's pride when she, not having graduated from high school, watched as I received my college diploma.

Right here, today, we have Belia Olivarez receiving her bachelor's degree in business administration. I imagine that her happiness in graduating is matched only by the pride she must feel in watching her own daughter, Ana, also receive her diploma. What Belia, Ana and all of you here share—and what we honor—is the aspiration to better yourselves, to better your families, to better your country.

Each of us is privileged to live in this nation of extraordinary and limitless possibilities, but for far too many Americans, maybe even some of you here today, the opportunity for personal achievement and higher education sits just beyond reach.

For our nation this is a tragic loss. This great nation is built on the promise of its people: The uniquely American ability to let people aspire to and achieve as much as they can imagine— a limitless future, a limitless ability to contribute to making this country even greater than it is. That's why we come to places like UTB/TSC: to build a better future for ourselves and for this great land. Unfortunately for too many, unfortunately for this country, being a part of this dream is growing less possible.

So, much of our work at the Ford Foundation, the institution I am honored to run, is geared toward bridging that gap and ensuring that every American has the access to the same experiences and opportunities that you have taken advantage of here at UTB/TSC. At Ford, we engage in that struggle because we believe in the power of the individual. We engage in that struggle because the future of this country depends on its ability to allow every resident to reach his or her maximum potential, to contribute to our growth and development as a nation.

All of you deserve praise for taking this step to be a part of our great future. There is nothing easy about being the first in your family to earn a diploma; and there is nothing easy about achieving something better for yourself and your country.

I say that, because I am a part of that dream. I am the son of a seamstress from the South Bronx. Your president, Juliet García, is the daughter of a janitor. Where we went to college, few of our classmates looked like us; few had come from places that looked like the ones where we had grown up. I share these facts to remind you that the struggles you overcame in getting to this point today were the exact same ones that Juliet and I faced.

Like you, we sought higher education; we learned essential skills and, above all, we accepted the responsibility that comes with the opportunity we received. And of course we got some help along the way—as did all of you. When you are the first person in your family to get a college degree, there are so many people who help you reach this point—who sacrificed for you, who consoled you, who worried for you and who prayed for you.

I am told that each graduate today brings on average seven people with them to this ceremony. It probably seems impossible to thank all of them, but let's give it a try. I ask the graduates: Put your hands together and applaud your family and friends in the audience who accompanied you on this journey. The people seated behind you are the most vivid reminder that for all of your hard work—there's still more for you to do.

Now don't get me wrong, you should celebrate this day, revel in your accomplishment, warmly accept all those congratulations. But once that moment has passed, each of you needs to ask one question: how are you going to use the gifts you've received here to better your community, your family and yourself? There is here at UTB/TSC and in Cameron County a hunger and desperate need for leadership. While you have been blessed to be here today—in return you need to make sure that your blessing is someone else's reward.

Those of you graduating today have a responsibility to your immediate community—be successful in whatever you choose to do. You can start your own business. You can run for city council or the school board. Or perhaps you can simply find a well-paying and rewarding job and take care of your family.

It is your responsibility to work as hard as you can, as hard as our mothers and fathers worked for us. It is your responsibility to be as successful as you can be for yourselves and for them. Ask yourself every morning, as I do, what is the most I can do today. You are a role model for all those who live and work around you. You are a role model for those who aspire to something better, but are uncertain about how to take that first step. You are a role model for those in this community who feel overwhelmed by the obstacles that impede their progress. Above all you are a role model whose success and personal triumph can offer those around you the confidence that they too can turn their dreams into reality.

So, I congratulate your accomplishment. I applaud your determination and I implore you to strive for success—not just for yourself—but for all those who live in this vibrant community. Thank you.

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