Students, family and friends, and of course the 2017 graduates, congratulations on arriving at such a monumental moment. [applause] gov. Ducey and while you are still living in this monumental moment, i encourage each of you to savor it, soak it in, cherish it. Because it signifies the closing chapter inignificant each of your lives. And the opening of the next chapter, where countless opportunity awaits you. Believe it or not, i was once a College Student too. But i did not study aviation or space physics, like some of you. I mean, i am good with math, but not that good. So i studied finance. Seattheless, i sat in a very similar to the one that you are sitting in right now, wondering what the world had in store for me. 1986, probably before you were born, yet i still remember the feelings of joy and excitement. Wondering remember when our Commencement Speakers would finally stopped talking so we could get on with the celebration. [applause] [laughter] gov. Ducey if you are feeling that way today, i certainly do not blame you. After all, if your College Experience was anything like mine, you have put in a tremendous amount of hard work. You have had more than a few online study sessions, powered by sheer determination, and maybe more than a little caffeine. Through one pile of challenging coursework after another, often feeling that you are so complex that only an Aerospace Engineer would use them someday. And then some of you remembered that you actually signed up to become an Aerospace Engineer. Some of you may have met the love of your life while at this school. Just like i met mine, angela, as an undergraduate at asu. I remember the first date we went on. I took her to a mock rock party. We all dressed up like the coolest bands, the big names like kiss, then halen, motley crue van halen, motley crue. Ok, i thought maybe you might not think those bands articles i think they are. Bands are as cool as i think they are. Maybe you have not found the love of your life yet. But you get the idea. The past years have been full of triumph and fun for all of you. Graduating from a Prestigious University like embryriddle is no easy feat. In addition to hard work, it takes a lot of intelligence, dedication and planning. So i imagine that some of you have formulated a plan on how you will apply the knowledge and skills you have acquired, and perhaps where you want to start your careers. But i know that some of you do not have a clear vision for exactly what you want to do with yourselves, your lives, or your career just yet. That is not necessarily a bad thing. When i first moved to arizona to attend asu, i was a wideeyed kid from a workingclass family in ohio that heard from a guidance counselor that arizona was where opportunity could be found. I do not know anybody out here and i had never been here and the only assets i had to my name and some pocket change. On graduation day, there is no way i could have told you that i would eventually go on to build in Ice Cream Company called cold stone creamery, or that it would end up operating in all 50 states and 31 countries around the world. Even less predictable is that i would be standing here today, as your governor, speaking to all of you as you embark on your life journey. It just goes to show that you never really know where you will end up. But if you want success, it starts with thinking big and dreaming bigger. Isn all you have got to do take action and look all around you. When you see even a glimmer of opportunity, do not be afraid to take the risk and give it everything you have. When we were building cold stone creamery, we needed every penny we could get, so my wife and i decided in phoenix that we would not turn on the air conditioner in our house until june, just to save the money. It was uncomfortable, often times, but we saw the potential in the business and we knew that the small sacrifice was worth it. Perfectlygoes according to the plans we have in our head, and many of you find yourselves in difficult situations in the years ahead, maybe that dream job is up feeling more like a deadend, maybe you visualize a certain level of success by a certain age and you just have not achieved it, some people refer to this as a midlife crisis. My advice is whenever you are hit with those thoughts and feelings, do not stop. Make a decision and keep moving. Todays burdens may become tomorrows opportunities, and you will never know unless you just keep moving and power through. With your degree from this University Comes the every name,bryriddles synonymous with excellence around the world. But nobody starts out as ceo on day one. To do not be afraid to start small. Some jobs may feel thankless, or is. Than, but no job there is always something you can learn. One of my favorite books is jim collins. By he said, faith in the endgame helps you lived through the months and years of buildup. So just remember, whatever the job, whatever the situation, there is always a way to grow as a professional and as a person. You just need to believe in your own commitment, your own goals. You are all very fortunate to be graduating at a time of such Great Potential and promise around the world. Most of you have more access to technology, entertainment, and information in your pockets than i ever dreamed of having in 1986. Most important to remember, your future is bright, because you have the privilege of living in the freest, most exceptional country on the face of the earth. [applause] in america, if there is something you want to say, you have the freedom to say it. Tever fate you may be fa faith you may be, you have the freedom to believe it. These are the gifts that our forefathers fought in died for. There are hundreds of millions of people around the globe who are not blessed with these freedoms as we are, so i urge you to never take them for granted. Some of you here today will choose to enter careers in defense of our great nation, and some of you have already done so. This is a noble calling, and i thank you for your willingness to serve. Wherever you go next and whatever you do, i encourage each of you to carry out your vocations with the heart of a servant. Employers, your families, your communities, and your country each and every day of your lives. Classtes of embry riddle, of 2017, congratulations once more. You have finally made it to this day, and you have earned it. The future is yours. You have the power to make history. Now, get out there and make it happen. Bless. Ou, and god [applause] on behalf of the entire embry riddle family, thank you for your inspiring and powerful words. Ould usurp eagleu, sir are now an as well. [applause] my success has depended wholly on my putting things over on people. Parents thinkure i am that great of a role model anyway. I am, however, an expert in pretending to be an expert in various areas. So, just randomly, like Everything Else in this speech. Am, or was, an expert in kissing onstage and onscreen. How did i prepare for this . Preparationf my took place at my suburban high school or rather, behind my suburban high school in new jersey. One is obliged to do a great deal of kissing in my line of work. Ass kissing, of course, and, actual kissing. Like hookers, actors have to do it with people they may not like or even know. We may have to do it with friends which is, believe it or not, particularly awkward. People of my generation, particularly awkward. Expertisereas of faux include river rafting, the radiation poisoning, which shoes go with shich singing, cooking, writing horses, riding horses, playing the violin, and more. Inse are some of the areas which i have pretended to be quite successful. As have many women here, im sure. Another commencement address. This one from mayor hobby or ernzales mayor Javi Gonzalez at new mexico highlands university