 Thank you John and Now we will hear from the student elected to speak from the bachelor's class of 2017 Joe Shea Joe's policy focus area at the Ford school has been health care policy, and he's also completed a minor in business He's been the communications director for the university central student government and served as a student representative On the advisory committee that searched for the next dean of the Ford school Joe has also been one of our peer advisors Counseling other BA students on their coursework and providing input to faculty and student faculty and Administrators he is secured a position as a junior associate at sugarman communications group in LA Which is a LA based public affairs and corporate communications consulting firm Joe's father and his godfather are both proud Ford school alumni class of 1985 So that's a wonderful legacy and he's been described by staff as and I quote the ultimate Ford school cheerleader And so it's really a pleasure to welcome Joe Shea now to address his the graduates Thanks for all and Thank You Dean Collins So last year in my Ford school course on political campaign strategy My professor Rusty Hills told our class that we should always open a speech by either thanking someone or telling a joke So I'd like to thank all of the speakers who have come before me and offered a joke But really distinguished guests faculty That's all I got distinguished Distinguished guests faculty staff Family friends and my beloved classmates at the undergraduate and graduate level Good afternoon. It's an honor to be here with you today as we truly have so much to celebrate in fact My cohort has been celebrating this milestone for the past month Through barbecues bar crawls and gatherings at local eateries I think it's telling that so many of us have chosen to spend our final days in college together Because it shows that the Ford school is just as much a community as it is an academic institution at some point along this transformative Educational experience we became more like a family than simply a collection of students interested in policy And I can't tell you for sure when this happened Maybe it was the early mornings during professor Chorchari's class where we discussed topics that ranged from the Grand Bargain in Detroit To the effect of the poppy trade on Afghanistan's economy Or maybe it was the late nights in the Betty Ford auditorium Putting the finishing touches on or perhaps just starting our policy memos do the following morning Regardless what I can tell you is that getting to know the 74 individuals seated in front of me Has been one of the greatest blessings of my life Simply put our cohort is full of change makers From Emma Zorfus who designed a program to educate Michigan students on how to recognize sexual misconduct and intervene To Meredith Joseph and Gabe Dell Who traveled to the United Nations in order to advocate on behalf of refugees These individuals along with so many others inspire me every day with their compassion intellect and dynamism and It's this inspiration from my classmates that when combined with the guidance that I've received from Ford's incredible faculty Has given me this gift of an enduring faith in the practice of public policy to make a positive lasting impact Now those of us with this faith in the potential of policymaking Also know that at some point this faith will surely be tested Just last week I was reminded of the frustratingly nonlinear process of public policy formulation While talking to dr. Joe Schwartz a former member of Congress and current Ford school professor Dr. Schwartz told me that one of his proudest moments on the hill was when he passionately Advocated for two bills that were never actually signed into law Both were aimed at increasing the federal government's investment in embryotic stem cell research as a medical doctor Dr. Schwartz fought hard for these bills because he believed in the potential of his research of this research To discover breakthrough treatments and fighting deadly diseases however Each bill passed the house Then the Senate Only to be vetoed at the desk of the president It wasn't until dr. Schwartz was out of office Four years later that a new White House administration issued an executive order that increased federal investment in embryotic stem cell research But dr. Schwartz's two pieces of legislation played a role each served as a litmus test of the political feasibility Ultimately indicating that this executive order could withstand congressional scrutiny To me stories like this demonstrate that it's necessary to have a deeply rooted faith in Policymaking in order to withstand the inevitable setbacks and the potential slow slow rate of change This story also reinforces the idea that hope can be found in efforts to create thoughtful policy regardless of the outcome a Quote I love is from mother Teresa Who says that we are not called to be successful, but faithful. I would argue that in policy making Success is based on faith in the process of it So class of 2017 as we prepare to take on the world I hope that you will join me in continuing to embrace this faith in the potential of public policy And I can think of no better way to honor the incredible individuals in this Ford school community this Ford family of ours and I want to end by saying on behalf of my class undergraduate and graduate To all the parents out there Including my own who are responsible for making this day possible Thank you You have given us the world and to everyone at the Ford school from Dean Collins To the student services and building maintenance staff Thank you You have empowered us to find our place in it. Thank you and go blue