 Consider who you were when you first set out on your educational endeavor. Take a moment to reflect on who you are now and how you got from your origin to where you sit today. What transformation has taken place in the last several years? You entered this university as a very uncommon entity. There has never been another person to grace our planet quite like you. Your story, your experiences, and how you as an individual are uniquely created has never existed before nor will ever be replicated again. You see, you are surrounded by people very much like you but at the same time not like you at all. You share a commonality of being entirely uncommon. Whether you are entering the workforce or going on for more education, you will inevitably come to a place one day where the future selves of other extraordinary individuals are dependent on the person you daily choose to be. And it matters deeply that you become the best you can be because the best in them demands to be met with the best in you. The world needs what the best you have. But not for your own fame or for your own happiness because those motivations will leave you disappointed but for something far deeper than that. For the betterment of the people you are given the honor of serving. My fellow graduates, congratulations on everything you have accomplished and perhaps even more importantly who you've become during your time here at St. Claude State University.