May 22: Graduation Day

Graduation Day for Alex!  We arrived at Clark at 10:30 am in advance of the 12:00 pm ceremony.  It was a scorcher with temps in the 90s.  Fortunately, Kim got us seats under the tent and the air conditioned student center was a well needed relief center.  I spent a good amount of time in the student center as I was in formal attire. The ceremony was long but we got some great pics of Alex.  I was so proud of the boy.

After the ceremony, we headed to La Cucina for a post-grad dinner fully arranged by Kim. I wrote the speech shown below.

• Our family would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everyone for joining us in celebrating this special event in Alex’s life

• Today represents not an end but a new beginning filled with endless opportunities and exciting adventures

• Some special thanks: 

• To his grandparents— Carol and Marie for spoiling him with gifts, delicious food, and unconditional love 

• To his cousins, friends, uncles and aunts who helped keep him grounded 

• And, to Uncle Danny for ensuring Alex is debt free as he enters the workforce

• Over the last four years, Alex has grown to understand the importance of working hard; pursuing one’s passion; and maintaining close personal friendships 

• In doing so, he has become everything that his parents had envisioned — an active, affable, confident, determined, intelligent, and respectful young man

• Here’s some advice from a few wise elders:

• Enjoy the present. 

• Foster lasting relationships

• Believe in yourself and help others whenever you can

• Be empathetic 

• Learn continuously and always be curious 

• Don’t get comfortable with being comfortable. In other words, don’t be afraid to take risks. 

• And as the great philosopher Auntie Scrub once said, and before her Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

• As you complete one important phase of your life and prepare to begin the next,  we encourage you to maintain a healthy work/life balance by pursuing your passion relentlessly while at the same time carving out time to spend with family & friends while exploring this wonderful world