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I am now pleased to introduce Ms. Sandy Barsotti,
president the Alumni Association Board of Directors,
to welcome our new graduates into the IUP Alumni Association.
Thank you, Dr. Driscoll.
I am honored and very proud to represent the IUP Alumni Association.
Being the last speaker of the day, I have a very unique position.
While I may be just one of many
to say congratulations to you today, I'm the very first to say, "Welcome, fellow alumni."
You now join us, the more than 120,000
living alumni, as official members of the IUP Alumni Association.
As former graduate and doctoral students,
you may not think of yourselves as IUP alumni
but rather alumni of the university from
which you received your undergraduate degree.
And while you may not think of us, please know that we,
all the members of the IUP Alumni Association, will remember and claim you as our own.
Your story is like our stories,
one filled with friendships, treasured experiences,
and an exceptional education. You are
more than just fellow alumni. You are like family.
and we will treat you as such. We will beam with pride
upon hearing that you graduated from IUP. We will offer our advice
and encouragement when you fail. And when we hear of your
latest achievement and profound success, we will proudly say
as I often do, "You know, she went to IUP."
Isaac Newton once said,
"If I have not seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants,"
and I have no doubt that you will see and go farther.
But always remember those giants that preceded you on this campus,
the ones who have gone on to become leaders in business,
education, medicine, the arts,
science, government and more. Our alumni have broken through glass ceilings,
raised the bar, and pioneered new paths, and we want you now
to take that baton and push onward. Connect with us at work,
in your neighborhood, at homecoming, or at networking events,
and learn from our experiences. After all, you are our legacy.
And now you will follow the advice given by Franklin D Roosevelt
when asked about giving a speech. FDR said,
"Be sincere, be brief, and be seated,"
and so I shall, but before I do,
I say to you, my fellow alumni, be amazing.
Be fearless. Be honorable. Be courageous,
and be brave. You have a collective and personal responsibility
to carry on the traditions of those giants who preceded you,
and as you set the world on fire, which I am certain you will,
let everyone know that you are a proud alumni of
Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Welcome to the family.
Thank you, Ms. Barsotti.