 Now I'm 38 now. I feel old. You guys make me feel old But about 20 years ago my brother Joaquin and I graduated from Jefferson High School. I See we have some Jeff folks here and We packed our bags and went off to college to Stanford University Do we have anybody going to Stanford? There's the West Coast people over there Anybody going to Berkeley? No, UCLA California is not in the house today. Oh one person. All right, there you go and We had never seen Stanford and The year that I got in my mother had made about 19,000 dollars and my grandmother was getting a social security check of a few hundred dollars a month and It was a huge sacrifice for for them to help make sure that My brother and I could go to college and I got to tell you that on the way there, you know We cried like half the way there on the plane ride from here to El Basel The flight attendant had to bring us these Southwest Airlines napkins that are all hard and our eyes were all red And you know, we thought the world was over and five weeks later We came back and showed up on my mother's doorstep and said we're back and I'm sure that we scared her completely but little by little we stuck it out and After the first semester, you know, we started getting more comfortable there and Concentrated on the work and After the first year we sort of said we got the hang of it and then the second year and the third year and the fourth year and Then graduated from college in 1996 a lot of times When whenever we think about the next stage in life Whatever that next stage is think about when you were in elementary school And you're gonna go to middle school and you heard that now there were seven classes or six classes And it was a lot bigger school or when you were in middle school and you heard about high school That the students were big and you know You're gonna be a freshman and at the bottom of the totem pole and it was a little bit scary How many y'all are a little bit nervous about going to college next year raise your hand. I want to tell you That it's been my experience That the next stage in life is a little bit harder Than the stage that you're at right now But it's not so hard that you can't excel and get through it All of y'all are here for a reason Because y'all made a commitment to do well in school and more importantly you actually did the hard work that it takes to succeed If you keep on doing what you're doing If you keep doing the hard work paying attention to your studies Don't get distracted. There is every single reason that you should have confidence That you're gonna graduate from college. You're gonna complete it and then go on and reach your dreams This next stage in life is a little bit harder You got to make sure that you pay attention that you don't let yourself go sideways and get distracted and hang out too much With friends and not pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing But it's not so hard that you can't do it because you can Many folks before you have done it with the same nervousness and anxiety and questions and We have every confidence that four years from now Or for those of y'all going to the Alamo colleges Who's going to the Alamo colleges that two years from now that y'all are going to be walking a stage with your college degree then finally a Lot of times when you go to college You know you hear about how smart people are going to be and how much work it's going to be and I got to tell You that it is a little bit more work It's manageable. It is more work, but it's manageable don't ever forget that You are a special individual There is nobody in the history of the whole planet nobody on earth right now or who has ever lived that is exactly like you That has had exactly your same thoughts that said exactly your same words that has exactly your same relationships You have something very special and powerful to add to the world including at your college or your university and so when you get into English class or you get into a history class or political science or or Physics or whatever it is don't ever forget that you as an individual bring something to the table that nobody else can And that's very powerful So on behalf of all San Antonians I want to say how proud we are of you That we wish you good luck We know y'all are gonna graduate and keep making your families very very proud and when you do That's gonna be a huge victory for you and for your families That's also gonna be a huge victory for our entire city to become that brainpower community that all of us know we can Good luck. Keep making us proud. Go get it done. Thank you Give it up for Mayor Castro