Governor Martin O'Malley Delivers Commencement Address at Chesapeake College
WYE MILLS, MD (May 21, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley delivered the commencement address at Chesapeake College today before the students, faculty, families and friends of the Class of 2008. The Governor encouraged the graduates to embrace the expectations set for them as college graduates and to serve their fellow citizens.
“Today, we honor your struggles, your endurance and your achievement. We celebrate passage. We celebrate transition. And we celebrate a very high and eternal commitment,” said Governor O’Malley. “We rejoice in fellowship and friendship and we pray. We pray in thanksgiving for the gifts that we have as citizens of this great State, of this great country. We pray in anticipation of the joy and the opportunities that we know and we hope lie ahead for us.”
Governor O’Malley went on to inspire the students to think beyond themselves, and answer the call of service to others. “A commencement represents not an end, but a beginning – the pursuit of all things eternal,” he said. “And today, we proclaim the powerful truth that for all of the diversity we are blessed to share, there are strong beliefs that unite us. A belief in the dignity of every individual. A belief in our own responsibility to advance the common good. And an understanding that at the beginning and end of our days, there is unity of spirit and matter and that what we do in our own lifetimes does matter.
“The dawn of your future lives breaks today. And so too does the promise of all you are to achieve. As we look across the horizon, dreaming of things to come … we need you. In fact, there are a lot of people who need you. Your mothers and fathers needs you. Our business managers, our economists, our poets need you. Our tired, our sick, our less fortunate need you. Our computer scientists, our visionaries need you. Your grandparents need you. And most of all, future generations need you. Your children, their children, their grandchildren, they all need you.”
Governor O’Malley outlined his administration’s commitment to the future of Maryland through historic investments in education, like the one made to community colleges like Chesapeake College. “Because of a stronger future that all of us prefer, we’re making record investments in higher education. In two years, we’ve increased funding for Chesapeake College by 38% -- $3 million more than what was invested in this college during the same period in the prior administration. We’re increasing investments in community colleges in similar numbers throughout our State. Because of a stronger future that all of us prefer… we’ve fought to hold the line on any increases in four year college tuitions. Because of a stronger future that all of us prefer, we’ve increased by nearly 400% investments in adult literacy programs in our State, compared to the same period in the last administration.
“In the five counties served by this college (Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot), this amounts to an increase from $115,000 to more than half a million dollars ($528k). Because of a stronger future that all of us prefer, we are sustaining record investments in K through 12 education. It’s no accident that Forbes magazine says our State has the third best and most highly skilled workforce in the country. It’s because we also have the third best public school system in the country and we want to be the best. Because of a stronger future that all of us prefer, we’re making serious strides in cleaning up our Bay, we’re investing in public safety, we’re expanding health care coverage to 100,000 Marylanders who didn’t have it last year.”
Founded in 1965 as Maryland's first regional community college, Chesapeake College was developed to serve the needs of the upper and middle Eastern Shore. More than a quarter-century after its founding, the College continues to respond to the growing needs of Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot counties, which compose its service area. Chesapeake College offers a two-year program of study in liberal arts and sciences and career programs.
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