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Darke County
Sisters chosen to give WSLC commencement speech
Wright State Lake Campus 2016
By Tammy Adkins on behalf of herself and her sister
In October of 2007 my sister, dad, and I moved to Greenville, Ohio from
Germany. When we first arrived here and went to register for High
School we were very nervous, especially since we were told we had to
take all of the OGTs.
We were not for sure what to expect and whether or not other students
would accept us. All of it was new to us; everyone a stranger. However,
we were glad when many of the students started talking to us and were
so nice and helpful.
After High School we then went to Edison Community College where we
each worked towards an Associate Degree. Once we graduated from Edison
Community College, we made the decision to go even further and receive
a bachelor degree in our dream fields of study at Wright State
University Lake Campus in Celina.
I started at Wright State University in Fall 2012 whereas my sister
started in Spring 2013. After a few more years we have now finally
achieved this goal of ours. We finally received our Bachelor degree in
the Spring of 2016 when we did our final graduation walk, and we had
the honor of giving a speech, representing the Bachelor’s degree
students after being recommended for this by one of my teachers.
She stated that we would have a great story to share with our fellow
classmates and graduates because we were able to achieve our dreams by
never giving up and always trying our best in everything we completed.
We dreamed big and even though we had a long and hard road the past few
years with a few bumps in the road we continued to work hard. We are
very grateful for everything we have learned and truly honored for
being given the chance to give a speech at commencement and share our
experiences as well as our story.
Anything is possible if you believe in yourself, and most importantly
have a great support system. With the support of our family, my
husband, and friends, I was able to achieve my dream of becoming a
teacher and Jenny achieved her dream of earning her Bachelor in Graphic
Design.
Our next goal is now finding a career start in our fields of education.
Editor’s Note… according to proud dad, Kurt Wagner, both girls
graduated with a 4.0 gpa.
Complete text of the speech…
Wright State Lake Campus Commencement
April 29th, 2016, 5:00pm, YMCA
Graduation speech
Tamara Adkins and Jennifer Fritsch
Good Evening Honored Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen and the Graduating
Class of 2016. First of all, my sister and I would like to thank our
professors and advisors for recommending us to give a speech at this
year's commencement. This is truly an honor. We would also like to
thank those very same people for sharing their knowledge and
experiences with us. In addition to that, we would like to thank our
family and friends who were always understanding and supportive of us.
Next, we would like to congratulate all of our fellow classmates and
all the other graduates. All of you have finally reached this milestone
and you should be proud of yourselves.
Famous actor Denzel Washington said, “I found that nothing in life is
worthwhile unless you take risks.” As you stand on the brink of moving
into life beyond Wright State University Lake Campus, you will
encounter situations where you might have to take risks, so aim high
and dream big because this is how you will achieve your success and
make your dreams come true. It is inevitable that structures and
processes as well as relationships will change in your day-to-day
lives. It is inevitable that you will face new challenges and it is
inevitable that things may seem a little different and difficult in the
years ahead. Yes, life is definitely going to become a little "shaken
up and stirred.”
Tonight each single one of you will walk across this stage to receive
your diploma that you have worked so hard to achieve. This moment is a
milestone for all of us- one of many we hope, and we are sure that you
are overjoyed as well as relieved to finally be done. However, life for
all of us does not stop here and now we all have to make new decisions
as to what to do next. Many of you will most likely go and follow a
career path in the field of your study, just like my sister and I,
while others might decide to continue their education. Whatever your
decision may be, you will achieve this new goal with the same
determination that you had to reach tonight's goal.
As we look back this evening on a journey - a journey that started out
with hesitant, tentative steps, we see just how far this group of
students has progressed. It has been an honor and a privilege being
part of their journey and one which has been imbued with wonderful
memories and these will stay with us forever. My sister and I still
remember how our journey at Wright State started, similar and yet
different, just like all of yours. We both moved here from Germany in
our junior and senior year of high school respectively. After our high
school graduation we then went to our local community college and
started our long journey of achieving our dreams, just like some of
you. When we received our corresponding Associates degrees from the
community college, we knew that we wanted to receive our Bachelor
degree in our dream field of study. However, we were not able to do so
at the community college and this is when we transferred here, each of
us pursuing a different dream. Wright State made it possible for us to
achieve our dreams, a Bachelor degree in Graphic Design for me and a
Bachelor in Early Childhood Education for my sister, just like they
helped each one of you achieve the dream you had. We both really
enjoyed our time here with all of you and we truly appreciated the help
and guidance this college provided us with.
It is these memories Ladies and Gentlemen, that show to the fine
caliber our Graduating Class of 2016. I would like to pay tribute to
each and every one of you. You have all left and will continue to leave
a legacy of excellence, achievement and a fine ethos and tradition for
generations to come. I would also like to pay tribute to the wonderful
teachers, friends and families - you have all guided, molded and shaped
these graduating students standing here tonight. Your role has been
hugely instrumental in molding our youth...our hope for the future and
we can't thank you enough for that. Without you we would not be here
today, receiving our diploma.
So graduating class of 2016, as you face and tackle the inevitable
changes that you surely will encounter from here on out, hold true to
yourself. Remember to hold onto your values, your work ethic and most
importantly, your humanity. It is these qualities that will guide you
further on your journey. From here on out there will be fun times as
well as hard times but as Denzel Washington said sometimes you will
have to take risks in life because even if we fail, this is what will
eventually lead to our success. Life is a never ending learning process
and just like you have shown here at Wright State you are a talented
group of people. From here on out we will go our separate ways but the
memories we made will stay with us. We wish every single one of you
fine students the best for your future and to not fear what will come
next. Take one step at a time. We are honored to have worked with and
have known such a talented and accomplished group of people.
Congratulations graduates of 2016 and good luck.
Tamara Adkins and Jennifer Fritsch
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