Oakes Speech Candidate- Geraldine Porras

A wise person once said: To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
Today, We make history at the University of California Santa Cruz. We, the class of 2010, do what many did not believe we could do, what some said was impossible, and what others never dreamed we could accomplish. Throughout our years here at UC Santa Cruz, we have gained valuable learning experiences both inside and outside of the classroom; Lessons that we will carry with us for a lifetime. Today is about looking back on the wonderful times weve shared here in Santa Cruz, celebrating how much we have helped each other grow, and looking forward to the impact we will each create in our communities.

I, like many of you, remember stepping foot on this huge campus, or summer camp, as we would call it, wondering how the heck we were ever going to find our way around, and hoping we would not get lost and attacked by raccoons or deer along the way. We Think back to the many times we would rather microwave a cup of noodles, sometimes for breakfast, lunch AND dinner, rather than taking a journey over the mountain and through the woods just to get to College 8 dining hall.

After just a few weeks here at Oakes College, we began to make life long connections with people, and considered this place our home away from home. Oakes became a place where we learned, laughed, and even cried with our newfound family. Here, we learned how to shift our frame of reference and see things through a different light. We created a diverse community in which we were free to express ourselves, and become receptive to peoples experiences from all walks of life.

These past several years at UCSC have taught us how to persevere and keep moving forward. Despite the times we doubted ourselves, procrastinated all quarter and never thought we could finish that 8-10 page paper in one night, we got through it, even if it was printing 10 minutes before our deadline. We tried to convince ourselves: this quarter I will NOT procrastinate, but it usually resulted in us getting better and better at pulling all nighters. Nonetheless, we got good at it, and made it through. We have overcome the struggles and challenges that were put forth on us throughout this time, which is why we can stand before you today with our heads up high.

We are proud to welcome you here tonight as we, the class of 2010, embark on a new journey. Though this is the end of a very significant phase of our lives, this is merely the beginning of the impact we will leave in the world. I would like for you all to take this opportunity to look around and recognize the people that are with us today. These are the people who have supported us throughout this challenging journey. Thank you to our friends, family and loved ones who have guided us throughout the years and given us the strength to be successful. Gracias a nuestras familias y amistades por darnos el apoyo y fuerza para obtener este exito tan significante en nuestras vidas.

Now is the time that we take with us the experiences we have gained here at UC Santa Cruz and continue to empower others wherever we go. Whether we are headed straight to grad school, traveling, or just taking some time to learn from the book of life do not let the measurement of your success be based on how much money you make, or the fancy things we can buy, but on the impact we have on our community. Take with you the knowledge we have gained at this university, the perseverance we have acquired and the confidence that we can accomplish whatever we set our heart to. Success is a Journey, not a destination and I am honored to say that I have shared an amazing journey with my fellow peers, and Graduating Class of 2010!

Thank You.

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