 Good evening. As many high school students do after graduation, I went on to a four-year university. But after taking a couple classes here and there, I realized I really had no idea or direction what I wanted to do with my life or as they grow up as they say. I went to NWTC to continue my education and not quit while I figured out which way I wanted my life compass to go. Because it definitely certainly was not pointing north. I was the typical go-to-class, go-to-home, do-homework, repeat student. It was just a means to an end. It wasn't until I found a part-time job in the student life office that I realized the educational potential and opportunities available at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. William Butler Yeats said that education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of the fire. It was seeing all the educational resources, student involvement and hands-on learning and real-life experiences at NWTC that sparked my fire. A special thank you to my family, co-workers and coordinator and friends who continually fan that fire. Because of them, my education, I will be graduating from the Marketing and Graphic Arts Program with a 3-3 GPA or better. And once situated in a full-time job, I will continue my education in the evenings to achieve my final goal of a bachelor's in communications. Because education is not the preparation for life, education is life itself. Thank you to Robert W. Baird and Company for that wonderful and very generous gift at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College for my life and getting my compass to finally point north.