116th Spring Commencement of The University of Texas at Austin
Excerpts of Remarks by Larry R. Faulkner
May 22, 1999
Main Building Terrace
The path leading to this evening--this culmination of your university experience--has been long and eventful. But throughout years of work and play, triumphs and disappointments, epiphanies and confusion--you have persevered.
Tonight is a time for reflection on where you have come from and where you are going. On what you have learned and what you intend to do with that knowledge and experience. A time to remember those who helped you reach this milestone and what they mean to you. Commencement is also an academic ritual. You arrive on the Main Mall as students and leave as graduates. In addition, this is a celebration of achievement--and we will celebrate in earnest a bit later in the program.
Here at UT, we are working to make sure that this university is a beacon of knowledge and opportunity for all citizens of Texas. We are pleased to have students from each of our state's 254 counties represented in our student body. We are also very proud to have students from all 50 states and about 115 foreign countries in this academic community. In the interest of making a UT education more accessible, we make more than $250 million in financial support available to students annually.
The UT Tower serves as the most powerful symbol of higher education in Texas, and we are proud to share it, and the aspirations that it represents, with all Texans. This campus belongs to the people of this state. To build their sense of ownership, we are opening the observation deck of the Tower on September 15, the 116th anniversary of The University. And you are all invited to the party--about 120 days from now--when we will celebrate the reopening of The University of Texas Tower.
The Tower was designed by architect Paul Cret, who wrote in 1931 that it was to transcend its role as a library and repository of human knowledge to become--and I quote--"the image in our memory when we think of the place." Paul Cret also aspired for the structure to serve as "the heart of The University." I hope that for you, the Tower will always evoke this evening, and many other special moments during your years on this campus.
I'd like to tell you a few stories about how your university is making a difference in the world around us. In my mind these stories illustrate the promise, the talents and skills, and the ambitions of the graduates we honor tonight.
Stephanie Tapia is a 23-year-old education major from El Paso. While she was a student in the economically depressed Soccorro School District, she gave little thought to leaving the El Paso area for college. But then she had an opportunity to visit this campus, and here, in the shadow of the UT Tower, she began to raise her aspirations. She saw opportunity in being a member of one of the nation's best academic communities--and she reached for it. She says, "At UT I've learned a lot about independence and responsibility. And I have met people from all over the world." After graduation, Stephanie Tapia is returning to the Soccorro School District to work as a first grade teacher where she is eager to share her expanded world view with children living on the cultural and economic edge. Through Stephanie, and many others like her, The University is working to help improve public school education in Texas.
Tim Diehl, who is 21, grew up in China and returned to Texas for high school and college. He is a plan II and Chinese major. For his Plan II thesis he created a business model to help promote high technology entrepreneurship in China, based on the Austin Technology Incubator of The University's IC2 Institute. Tim Diehl's work is representative of the many ways in which The University is supporting knowledge-based industry--at home and abroad.
Chris Crear is a 23-year-old mechanical engineering major from Frankston, Texas--population 1,000. He is a first generation college student, the only member of his high school graduating class of 50 to attend The University, and the first ever African American from that school district to graduate from UT-Austin. Chris was exposed to UT during the state high school debate and one-act play competitions. He didn't just find a way to fit in at UT--he found a way to make it better. In addition to his service as UT Ambassador, chairman of the service organization Texas Blazers, three years as dormitory resident assistant, and many other activities--he chaired Hope Week on campus, an event promoting cultural and ethnic diversity and understanding. Chris Crear, who leaves our campus for a position at an international equipment technology company, personifies our efforts to enrich the undergraduate experience at The University.
There are 6,300 students graduating tonight, and I know that there are 6,300 stories of endeavor, achievement, and success. I am proud of each of you!
A little more than a year ago, I returned to The University of Texas at Austin. I came from a large university with very high academic standards, much like UT. My strongest impression about the students here at The University is of their remarkable ability to identify the resources and opportunities available on this large campus--and to reach out and take advantage of them. This is no small achievement. Every one of you graduating tonight had a smaller, less imposing alternative to coming to UT. But you chose to aim high--and to prepare to do big things.
Parents, be proud that your children were not afraid to plunge into the life of the largest university in the United States, to assert themselves, to accept responsibility for getting the job done, and completing their degree.
We all depend upon the family and friends around us for support. No one accomplishes much in life without the help of others. I now invite the Class of 1999 and all our graduates to salute your parents, families, and friends for their devotion and support. Would the families and supporting friends of our graduates please rise and be recognized.
Attending a large, multicultural university helps prepare you for life, because the world is a large, multicultural place. This experience will serve you well wherever your future takes you. While The University may not have sheltered you from life's harsh realities, it has surely exposed you to the unique culture of Texas and UT. Our state's very name is derivative of a Native American word for friend--Tejas.
Whether you are a native Texan--or born on the other side of the planet--you are now forever identified with Texas. Embrace the generous Texas spirit and carry it with you always.
Graduates and members of the Class of 1999, I salute you.
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