 Please be seated. Good afternoon. It is truly a pleasure to welcome you to the Community College of Vermont's 2023 commencement ceremony. I am Joyce Judy, and I serve as president of the Community College of Vermont. And I have the distinct honor of greeting you today to celebrate our graduates. Congratulations to the class of 2023. It is a privilege to be joined on the platform today by Vermont Governor Phil Scott, today's keynote speaker, Kyle Clark, Vermont State College Chancellor Sophie Zanotny, Vermont State College's board member, Chair Lynn Dickinson, and Trustee Bill Lippert. Also joining me on the platform are this year's Community Service Award recipients Bob and Lois Frye, the class of 2023 student speaker, Kevin McGreal, faculty members Melissa Holmes, Mary Ann Boyd, and Stephanie Bush, and academic dean, Debbie Stewart. Graduates, as you look around the fieldhouse this afternoon, you will see dozens of the faculty and staff members who supported you throughout your CCD journey. Your instructors offered their expertise and encouragement, challenging you to expand your knowledge and develop new skills. CCD staff guided you along the path to meeting your goals. They join us today to celebrate you and your many achievements. Graduates, please join me in recognizing them. I also want to thank all of the CCD staff, as well as the staff here at Norwich University, who organized today's event. We appreciate the hard work and the attention to detail that went into creating this special occasion to honor you and your graduates, to honor you and your accomplishments. This year, I am pleased to recognize two very special programs that are new to the college. Both are made possible by significant contributions from philanthropic partners who share CCD's belief that everyone should have access to higher education. 2023 is the first commencement that includes graduates of the McClure Free Degree Promise. Supported by the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation, this program promises a free associate degree to students who participate in the state-supported early college program during their senior year of high school and then continue for a second year at CCD. This is an incredible opportunity for young students and we are fortunate today to be joined by the McClure Foundation's executive director and members of their board. And I invite you all to join me in thanking the foundation for their partnership in expanding access to education for all Vermonters. I am also pleased to announce the recent establishment of a $1 million endowment from the Courtney and Victoria Buffham Family Foundation, given to create the Victoria Buffham Single Parent Program Fund. This scholarship fund will provide educational and career support to CCD who are single parents. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the president of the foundation and his wife who are in attendance today. Please join me in thanking the Buffham Family Foundation for their commitment to supporting this important population of CCD students. CCD's class of 2023 today is about your graduation, a rite of passage through which you officially become alumni. Throughout your CCD journey, you balance your role as students with many other roles you play as parents, as caregivers, as professionals. You are volunteers, hardworking employees, members of the military, and leaders in your community. And throughout your time at CCD, you had the fortitude to keep going despite the obstacles, the sleepless nights, school closures and illnesses, flat tires, months you struggled to make ends meet, and a global pandemic. Whether you came to CCD one year ago or 10, you had the courage to invest in yourselves and in your families by pursuing education along with many other responsibilities and then the face of many challenges. Today, we celebrate your transition from students to graduates and we recognize the many other hats you've worn along the way. As I acknowledge various groups of graduates, I'd like to ask you to stand to be recognized and I invite those who are unable to stand to raise your hand instead. Many of you were working full or part-time jobs while you took classes. You made time to complete assignments, you attended your classes and you still picked up extra shifts when coworkers called in sick. You stayed focused on your studies while bringing home a steady paycheck. Maybe you had moments of wondering if you could keep going, but you dug deep and you found the strength to continue. I would like to ask all graduates who have been working while going to school to please stand and be recognized. Thank you. Many of you are parents. You chose a college education because you want to create the best possible life for yourself and your children, but I know it wasn't easy. You juggled meals, school and childcare, doctor's appointments and more. You sacrificed time with your kids to attend classes, but you stuck it out because you wanted to show your children the importance of following your dream to earn a college degree. Will all graduates who are parents or guardians please stand and be recognized? Some of you started taking classes when you were still in high school. You wanted to get a head start on your future, but I'm sure you had some fears. You were among the youngest students in your classes. You may have felt overwhelmed by the rigor of college coursework, but you too had the courage to step outside of your comfort zone and you developed the tools to succeed. Will all graduates who began their CCV journey while they were still in high school please stand and be recognized? Thank you. Many of you were the first in your family to earn a college degree. You broke a generational mold by walking through CCV's doors. You navigated a long list of new challenges, often without the firsthand experience of a relative to guide you. Maybe you questioned if college was the right path, but you stayed the course. You connected with CCV staff, you built relationships with faculty, and you leaned on each other for support. I would like to ask all of you who are first in your family to graduate from college to please stand and be recognized. Thank you. Several of you are members of Phi Theta Kappa, an international honor society for community college students who demonstrate academic integrity and excellence. It took a sustained effort to maintain high grades throughout your time at CCV. And your work ethic and drive have been an inspiration to the entire college community. Will all graduates who are members of Phi Theta Kappa stand and be recognized? Thank you. Some of you are veterans or active members of the military. You have made extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of your community and your country. Maybe you took online courses during a deployment. Maybe you came to CCV after leaving the military eager to start a new chapter. Your perspective has been invaluable to your classes and we thank you for your contributions. I would like to ask all veteran and military connected graduates to stand so we can recognize you. Thank you for your service. Graduates, you have all demonstrated incredible resilience and determination in reaching this milestone. You are motivated by parents, your friends, your children and your dreams of a better future. You stayed focused on your goal to earn a degree and you persevered. For that, you should be very proud. Congratulations CCV class of 2023. I am pleased to share that for every year of his tenure as governor, Phil Scott has made it a priority to attend CCV's graduation. In fact, this tradition has become an important symbol of his involvement in Vermont communities. A few weeks ago, I received a Sunday night text message from a CCV staff member. She said she'd been out hiking and had met the governor. She told him she'd hoped she'd see him at commencement and he reassured her that yes, he was looking forward to being there. As we welcome the governor this year, I would also like to acknowledge his efforts to increase affordability at CCV. We are incredibly grateful for his support of a proposed tuition break in high demand programs, giving more students a chance to pursue rewarding Vermont careers. At this time, I would like to invite the governor of the state of Vermont, Phil Scott to the podium to greet and congratulate the class of 2023. Governor Scott. Thank you very much for having me here today and let me add my voice to congratulate each and every one of you. I know what you've been through. It's an honor to be for me to be here with all of you, your friends and family, as one chapter in your lives comes to close and a new one begins. Each of you has a lot to be proud of. I know how challenging it's been for many of you balancing your studies with jobs and families, and all of you have made it here today because of your hard work and determination. But don't forget all those who helped you along the way, your family, your friends, coworkers, and teachers who've helped put you on a path to success. Make sure you let them know how much their support has meant to you. I'm guessing many of you know exactly what you'll be doing in the next phase of your lives, and I'm sure you'll do well in your chosen field. I also know the education received at CCB will be key along the way. And to those of you who aren't quite exactly sure what you'll be doing next, that's okay. I wasn't always sure either. And by the way, there are many days when I still am not sure what comes next. In fact, when I went to college, I studied to be a TechEd teacher because of my love to build, create, and solve problem solve. I received my teaching certification, did my student teaching at U32, and then I decided to go into business instead. But I never, ever regretted going to school. And to this day, I still use a lot of what I learned. It wasn't a straight line from point A to point B for me. And it may not be for any of you either. My point is this. You never know what's going to come your way or where your journey ends or the path you'll follow to get there. Here's my advice to you. Embrace the unknowns. Look at them like priorities and opportunities. Take calculated risks and don't be afraid to fail because that's how you learn. Finally, I'd like to humbly suggest a few words of advice that I've given to others. Always treat others with dignity and respect even behind a keyboard. Be a role model for others. Be someone who others look up to because I guarantee someone out there wants to be just like you. Always be the person you think you are and be aware that how we act when we're not in the spotlight is just as important as how we act when we're on center stage. Owning and learning from our mistakes is character building. Mistakes are only weaknesses if we don't use them to make ourselves better. Learn from others. Don't be afraid to admit when you don't know something because nobody has all the answers. You're never too old to learn something new. And finally, understand the importance of integrity because at the end of the day, when all is said and done, it's how most of us will be remembered. So again, congratulations class of 2023. You made us all very, very proud and I thank you again for inviting me on your special day, so thank you. Thank you, Governor Scott. At CCV, we take great pride in our efforts to foster healthy communities. We encourage students, faculty, and staff to become more involved citizens and at each year at commencement, we honor individuals who have given their time and energy in service to others. I would like to invite Bob and Lois Fry to join me at the podium. The Community Service Award is presented each year in recognition of sustained and profound service to our state. This year, it is my distinct privilege to present this award to Bob and Lois Fry. Bob and Lois are longtime friends of the college and faithful stewards of their community. They are dedicated to uplifting the people around them and protecting the natural world and have spent decades volunteering for local organizations and supporting a diversity of educational causes and have lend a helping hand to anyone in need. As one news reporter wrote, Lois and Bob are, and I quote, volunteers extraordinaire and all around wonderful people, end of quote. And they are so deserving of that description. Among their many contributions to their local and statewide communities, the Fry's are generous supporters of CCV. Through the scholarship fund, they established more than 20 years ago in memory of their daughter, CCV alum, Jennifer Fry. Jennifer was a tenacious, curious, and loving young woman whose legacy is an inspiration to CCV students, faculty, and staff. Over the years, the Fry's have impacted the lives of more than 50 students through scholarships in Jennifer's name. Bob shared that when he had the chance to meet one scholarship recipient, she gave him a bear hug and told him how grateful she was. In Bob's words, she got a little teary and so did I. Lois and Bob, we are grateful for your service to Vermont, and it is an honor to present you both with this award. Many CCV students give generously of their time to their communities and spend a great deal of energy supporting their neighbors, volunteering for local organizations, and helping to improve the lives of others. This year, we are pleased to present the Student Service Award to Taylor Goodchild. Will Taylor please come join me at the podium? Taylor Goodchild is a role model for her own children as well as the many children she works with as a behavior interventionist. She is a selfless leader in her local community where she is a volunteer for youth sports and other activities, facilitates a volunteer group at a local church, and is a patient family advisor at the University of Vermont's Children's Hospital. She also volunteers building beds for local children with the nonprofit Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Taylor completes her degree today in liberal studies and plans to transfer to Vermont State University to study psychology. Congratulations, Taylor, and thank you for your service to your community. Many students are leaders in their CCV centers, serving as resources for fellow students and working to create a vibrant, supportive learning environment. This year, we are pleased to present the Student Leadership Award to Jack Taylor and Rain Towns. Will Jack and Rain's please join me at the podium? Jack Taylor earns his degree today in behavioral science. During his time at CCV, Jack served on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee where he provided a student voice to the work of advancing equity initiatives across the college and beyond. Jack plans to use his CCV education to support BIPOC students and those who struggle with behavioral issues. Rain Towns studied at our Montpelier Academic Center where she became a resource for high school students taking CCV classes. Rain came to CCV through the early college program during her senior year at high school and she is among the first students to graduate under the McClure free degrees promise. She earns her degree in liberal studies and is excited to transfer to Berea College in Kentucky. Congratulations, Jack and Rain on receiving this year's award. Graduates, today you become CCV alum. In that role, you will always be members of the CCV community. With generous support from past graduates, every year we award the alumni scholarship to graduates who plan to continue their education for a bachelor's degree. This year, we are proud to award the alumni scholarship to Ryan Francoir and Maia Mankucci. Will Ryan and Maia please come forward. Ryan graduates today from our Middlebury Academic Center with a degree in environmental science. He came to CCV to pursue his passion for natural resource conservation and he will transfer to Oregon State University to study natural resources and he hopes to use his education to become a forester. A graduate of CCV St. Johnsbury, Maia also earns her degree today in environmental science. She plans to transfer to the University of Vermont where she will pursue her bachelor's degree in English. Maia cares deeply about the natural world and dreams of affecting positive change by becoming an environmental storyteller. Congratulations to both. The Teaching Excellence Awards are given annually to faculty members who have been nominated by students, faculty and staff with the vast majority of nominations coming directly from students. This year's Teaching Excellence Award recipients are Mary Ann Boyd, Stephanie Bush and Lou Colesante. Unfortunately, Lou is not able to join us today but I'd like to take just a moment to acknowledge his work. Lou's diverse background includes military service, social work, IT and more than 45 years of teaching at the post-secondary level. A first generation college student himself, Lou teaches several CCV courses, including the two bookend courses that all CCV students take, dimensions and seminar and educational inquiry. He has impacted countless students over the course of his career at CCV and we thank him for his service. Will Mary Ann and Stephanie please come forward? A former CCV student herself, Mary Ann brings a special perspective to the classroom after earning both bachelor's and master's degrees in social work, Mary Ann returned to CCV as a faculty member in 2014 and since that time, she has been teaching conflict resolution, death and dying and communications classes. Stephanie is an accomplished professional artist who shares her lifelong passion for creative expression with CCV students. Alongside her active practice as an oil painter, including regularly exhibiting her work locally and nationally, she teaches CCV classes in studio art, drawing and painting. Congratulations, Mary Ann, Stephanie and Lou. We thank you for your commitment to teaching. Now graduates, you will hear from one of your own. The student speaker for the class of 2023 is Kevin McGreel and here to introduce Kevin is faculty member, Melissa Holmes. Congratulations, you guys. Some of you have had a student, so it's nice to see you out there and all my PTK people. Yay. It is my immense pleasure and honor to introduce Kevin McGreel as this year's student speaker. I could spend my two minutes telling you all about Kevin's titles and his awards and positions at the college. The mere fact that he stands before you already speaks volumes to the level of his participation at CCV. I nominated Kevin because he is one of you. The class of 2023, he represents those of you who have struggled but kept going. He represents those of you who feel your voice has been stifled due to lack of inclusion and diversity. He also stands with the over achievers in the graduation class. You know who you are when a B is just not good enough. Kevin has supported you behind the scenes and has voiced your concerns to the administration and anyone who will listen. He is a voice for you, even when you didn't know you needed a voice. As the current leader of both the Student Advisory and Leadership Council and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, he knows you. He collaborates with you. He has met some of you at the new student orientations and every single encounter he says, we could really use that person on a project, a committee, a meeting. He is that human. He believes that having a voice at the table, any table is paramount. Not only in the college world, but in the world as a whole. Today he stands here as a representative of you. I am here to tell you he does just that. He has walked in your shoes. He has struggled and rose to be right here where you are today. You are the change that needs to happen in this world. You care about animals, the environment, the health of the world. You guys even recycle correctly. I will leave you with this. Know your bias and try not to act on it. Know your mirror image self because that's all we can ever really be and act with a purpose. I wrote this about Kevin McGrill. He is a voice for his generation. Without further ado, I give you the one and only Kevin McGrill, leader, activist, people millionaire, but most importantly, a member of your class of 2023. Congratulations. Thank you, Mel. Before my speech, I would like to take a moment to honor the lands on which we gather here today. The rain that has fallen on the soils of Northfield is steadily filtering into Dog River, which drains into the Winooski and terminates at Lake Champlain. Standing here, I think of these currents teeming with trout, invigorated with the coming heat of summer that have fed heron, bears, and the peoples of this land, the Ibeniki and colonial descendants, and countless generations of people before. I think of the wild onions lining the banks of the Winooski for which it was named, promising savory meals into the winter. I have been held on the rocky ledges of the Winooski as her waters roar, powering our comforts. I have found peace where the White River meets the Connecticut. Her flow a tranquil juggernaut. Feeling these gifts, I acknowledge the generations of the Winoosik people who have stewarded this land through many hardships. I find it powerful that everyone here carries not only our own stories, but the stories of the lands that have sheltered and nourished us on our journeys. Stories from every corner of Vermont coalesced here in the center to celebrate this great transition. I invite you all, as you drive through these verdant mountains, to listen for your land's story. Feel how it has held you. It is with this gratitude, this honor that we bring ourselves towards a reciprocal relationship with these lands that we call home. Support them as they have always supported us. Here we are. We did it. We made it. During my time at CCV, I've had the unique opportunity to interact with students not only through the classroom, but also through the leadership work I became involved with. I've worked with other student leaders, peer mentors, welcomed hundreds of incoming students at orientations. I've spoken with resource managers, listened to student feedback, and sat with members of our BIPOC student body on committees and focus groups, learning about the needs and challenges of our population. Meeting my peers and hearing our stories moved me each and every time, reminding me why I do this work. We got here today through isolation and uncertainty, many working with unfamiliar technology during a global pandemic. You saw how many of us have children. Parenting never stops. And how many of us were working one, two more jobs, those bills, they keep coming. With the average age of 28, many of us hadn't stepped into a classroom for a decade or more. And oppositely, some were enrolled in both high school and college. Some of us have had to care for sick family members or navigate our own personal illness. Some of us have had to grieve the loss of a loved one. My own story is about atypical as any typical CCB student, not called down a traditional college track. I was licensed and massaged after high school, but ultimately decided it was not to be my career. The desire to help people which had brought me to the healing arts was still there, but I wasn't sure how to. Love brought me to Vermont in 2014, partnering with a socially aware activist who was well educated and short on patients for ignorance, exposed me to social issues, racial justice, and the roots of systemic oppression. Along with the shifting political climate, it became clear to me that more serious engagement in structural reform and dismantling was necessary for me to do what I wanted to do. But I needed to understand society at a deeper level, and college felt like the place to do that. CCB, with its flexibility and low cost, felt like the perfect reintroduction. In May 2017, I scheduled a visit with an advisor and enrolled in courses for the first time in six years. I paused after that summer because life happened and I had never intended on getting a degree. It wasn't until COVID struck, forcing me out of the service industry that I returned. The timing was right to dive fully into my studies and now with the goal of gaining an associates and skills that could land me remote work. One semester later, I got involved in leadership and that paved the way to bring me to this podium. But what I have gained goes beyond knowledge and a diploma. I have strengthened my communication and critical thinking. I have come to accept that real problems rarely have the neat solutions my 20 year old self envisioned. I've discovered interests and skills that allow me to imagine many futures for myself. And with that, security that I will land well wherever that is. As a bonus, I now have the opportunity to continue on to programs that I would never have dreamed of getting into. And with two years of college completed for basically three, I can finish my bachelor's for half price. I mean, in today's economy, that's a no-brainer. While what each of us takes from this may differ, we have all showed up for ourselves, for our families, for our communities. Whether we started to gain skills or a certificate to improve financial security or credits to transfer or just to keep enriching our lives, we all share this. I remember one woman at an orientation she'd enrolled with her daughter so they could go through college together. And you know what the most common things new students express concern over? It was whether they'd be able to do it, to take on the workload and stick it out, to be able to keep up with assignments and navigate the new technology. Feelings of insecurity and adequacy self doubt. Oh, how very human. But you know the cool thing about being human? It's having other humans beside us. I had my partner, my mom, my great aunt. We had our kids, friends and families holding us, believing us, fueling our determination the whole way. We also had advisors, amazing professors and mentors. We had an entire community of support to bring us here. I'm sure I can say this on behalf of the entire student body. Thank you. Thank you. You know, it's probably cliche to talk about community at community college graduation, but it is significant. And it's something that's really brought me to love this state. Even though I did not grow up here, I have come to call the Green Mountains and valleys of Vermont home. Because it truly does feel like a community, spread out, but coming together to take care of the tough stuff, to help one another. Maybe it's our small size and big heart, but change feels possible. No other area demonstrated this to me more than in diversity, equity and inclusion work I became involved with. And this is not comfortable work. I mean, Vermont, one of the whitest states in the nation, we got a lot of listening to do. And certainly I have had to confront a lot within myself and check my privilege. But I have seen what happens when we invest in this work, when we empower BIPOC voices. I have seen committees formed, new positions created, trainings offered and curriculums augmented. I helped bring a student led anti-racism pledge to the state college board of trustees. And I witnessed its approval. Are these all the answers? No, and we might get some things wrong, but we keep showing up, ready to listen, ready to act and continue this invaluable work. Together, we are building a culture of progress. And this goes beyond DEI. When we invest in ourselves, in education and empowerment, we are investing in a better future for our children, a future with greater opportunities for success. I hear Vermont has an aging problem. Let's keep building this. Speaking of success, we too often define it in such limited terms that our lives and achievements need to look a certain way to carry value or worth, or to carry value, are worth relegated to asset holdings and productivity. More and more, I have come to view success through many lenses. Success can be a deliciously cooked meal. Success can be getting outside on a beautiful day, a hand lent to your neighbor, a warm home for a sweet fur baby. Success is showing it up, day in and day out for our kiddos, even when they drive us insane. Success is hitting those due dates and pushing through course after course to get to this stage, because it matters how we look at this, how we view ourselves. Our brains are wired to fixate on the negative, reminding ourselves of all the successes that brought us to this moment, builds a foundation that we can fall upon, come undone upon, and trust that we are still held. It is the foundation of self-worth, and no one, nothing can ever take this from us. After we leave here and take all our pictures and wander off into the Vermont wild, we will always have this. You are successful, you are valuable, you are making a difference. If nothing else for yourself, and that is so important because you all deserve it, we deserve it, and I know you certainly have made a huge difference for me. I think you all are incredible. Thank you guys so much. Kevin, do you wanna come back? I want to present you with an award. At this time, I am pleased to introduce our keynote speaker, Kyle Clark. Kyle is a native Vermonter who grew up in Williston and Essex, an attended Essex High School, and now lives with his wife and four children in central Vermont. He is an aerospace engineer, a pilot, and the founder and CEO of Beta Technologies, a rapidly growing, Vermont-based electric aerospace company. They are working to turn the corner on climate change by decarbonizing aviation. Kyle and his team are focused on building electric aviation solutions to move goods and people more safely, efficiently, and sustainably. To do this, Beta is building all-electric, net-zero aircraft, and a cross-country network of multimodal charging infrastructure to enable electric transportation. The company has designed two electric aircraft that are on the path to FAA certification, and Beta has achieved significant technical milestones, becoming the first electric aircraft flown by test pilots from the Air Force, from the Army, and FAA. Prior to Beta, Kyle co-founded numerous businesses in the Vermont area, and before that, he played right wing in the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals Organization. He is a certified flight instructor, as well as a licensed commercial pilot for both helicopter and airplanes, and holds a degree in material science and engineering from Harvard University. Kyle grew up in Vermont, chose to launch his business here, and is committed to strengthening our state. We are so fortunate to have him here today to address the class of 2023. Kyle. I move this up a little bit, because I'm vertically challenged in the opposite direction that most people consider that. It's awesome to be here. Thank you so much. When I received this invite to come and speak here, I was immediately feeling pretty important. I felt like I had this inflated sense of self-importance, in fact, and I immediately, and Joyce can validate this, within 10 seconds replied, yes, absolutely. But then it dawned on me, I had to come up with something to say, and that became a bit of a challenge, and that invite wasn't appreciated so much anymore. So here we go. I was confused as to why she would ask a guy who took three tries to get through college, and that third try did so with a little baby girl, and good for you guys who did that as well. And somebody who's, in my opinion, looks in the mirror, and I'm just kind of figuring it out as we go along. Why would she ask me to do this? And it's interesting, I'm break and script here, but I realized why when I walked in here, and I walked in with the governor, and two folks were taking a selfie in there, and two of you down here, and the governor said, I'll take that phone, and he went and took a picture for the graduates. What state's governor does that? That's amazing. And then I, yes, exactly. He's thinking about the right things. And I walk in here, and I see gals and my wife dances Zumba with. I see somebody walk up on stage, while I work with her husband, and I realize these are my people. This makes sense, and this is why you asked me to do this. So thank you so much. In preparing an actual speech, I asked a friend what do I need to talk about? He just gave a speech out at UCLA, and he said, find a story that somebody can, everybody in the audience can take one little point out of. And so I sat there thinking about this, and here's my attempt at that today. Wear your seatbelt. Unlike any advice you'll get from me today, it's like statistically proven that you will have more opportunities to do real things, because every 17.9 years, one of us will get in an accident, and if you wear your seatbelt, you're 50% more likely to walk away from that accident without an injury. So I'm gonna consider this a win. Are we good? All right, here we go one that's a little less definitive. This is how I run our business and kind of the direction that I set. Life after your graduation is not a process. There's no manual. Don't bother writing down a very definitive plan on what you're going to do. There's never been a you before, which is like pretty amazing too, right? You are totally unique. Your genetics, your experiences going through this, nobody's sitting in the same seat as you. You're totally unique. There's no manual. And you have to just set a vision in front of you and get it generally pointed in the right direction and start moving in that direction. So my advice is pick a vision, have some conviction towards that vision and work with a kind of soft edged plan and maintain some peripheral vision. Keep your blinders opened. You'll realize that when you have the right amount of information, it'll expose itself to you. As Joyce said, I was born in Vermont. I played in the sports. I attended the Essex Tech School. It wasn't necessarily the coolest thing to do. I was on the football team and I would think I was the only one on the team going to the tech center. But I was interested in technical things, drawing things. I was interested in the way things worked. I didn't know you were a tech student teacher or asked firing to be a tech teacher. That's what I was doing and it really meant a lot to me. My first piece of advice and have confidence in who you are. Dance and sing. It feels really good. Feels good to get up there and don't really, it doesn't matter what other people think about it. Have confidence in yourself. When people invest in our business up at Beta, they're investing in Kyle for Kyle. They're investing in our business for what it is. And I've many investors have come to me and said if you stop being the test pilot, we'll invest in your business. And I used to just show them the door and now I just click mute on Zoom, pretend to be listening and go on to doing something else. Because either they believe in what we're doing and they believe in us or they leave. The same thing happens when they say, I'll invest in your business if you move it to Silicon Valley. You're like taking the soul out of the business. We don't do that. I knew I wanted to design, build and fly airplanes for as long as I can remember. To me, there was something special about leaving the ground, about pushing the edges of physics and building on the technologists of the past and seeing the world from a different perspective. I was told to have a more realistic goal and make a proper plan. I resisted. And now here we are. We've created this company here in Vermont, flying clean, quiet, beautiful aircraft and a path to a sustainable future genuinely in aviation. So there will be naysayers in whatever plan you make or whatever plan you say. The way I think about it, wishing they weren't there is like wishing the gravitational constant were lower. It's just not gonna happen. But success tastes sweeter when you overcome that. When you overcome the naysayers. Nothing motivates me like being told I can't. You don't need to know the path when you start. You don't have to have justification for every step in the plan. Dismiss people who ask you, what is your specific plan? How about we talk about a vision and an idea? If you have a fuzzy vision and the vision is right, just start going in that direction. Make a bias towards action. Just move. Your primitive tactical mind will take over at that point and you'll know what to do when the opportunities present themselves. The next is opportunity knocks very quietly. I'm gonna break script again. On the subject of opportunity, you should never let a difficult situation go to waste. I remember one time I was driving by St. Mike's on Route 15 and we blew a tire. It was in the winter time. And my friend said to me after this event, he goes, I've never seen you so happy or motivated, Kyle. Because I jumped out of the car. I felt like I was on Governor Scott's pit crew at that point. And I was just jazzed to try and fix that tire as fast as I possibly could and get on with it. And that was a challenge. The challenge presented itself just like this speech. The challenge presented itself at first it was like, oh no. And then I got motivated by it. That's an opportunity you can't plan for. And the one thing back on script, the one thing you have in control is your own hard work. Taking pride in everything that you do. In my opinion, extraordinary gain can only be made with extraordinary effort. And the effort comes in many forms. But nonetheless, that's why it's so important that you absolutely love what you do. It makes everything easier. And speaking of hard work, the mental toughness is the hardest of all. It's staying focused. It's overcoming things when nobody are looking. If you look forward at your day and you see that you're totally comfortable, change your day. Give yourself a challenge. Scare yourself a little bit. If you've mastered those things, you're not getting any better and you're likely too comfortable. When you're doing a job, you gotta do the job anyway. And in most cases, you might as well do it with pride and do it well. I say to my daughter who was born when I was in college when she goes out to play soccer. Look, if you get injured, it hurts the same if you lie there and cry about it or if you get up and keep playing. Still gonna hurt. So just get up and keep playing. That's mental toughness, that's focus. Achieving your vision doesn't come for free. If you won't give up things to reach your vision, it's probably the wrong vision. You guys have clearly given up, whether it be your time with your friends or your family to get a degree here. Expect that you will give your time, take risks, do things that are uncomfortable. Building beta into this multi-billion dollar company has taken a lot of early mornings, a lot of late nights, given up a lot of other opportunities to pursue this dream. Embrace the challenge. Hard work doesn't end with completing the checklist. It's what's beyond the checklist. It's what's beyond that plan that you've made for what you can see in front of you. It's the things nobody can capture with direction. And that's where being an artist comes in in whatever you do. Buried in being an artist is that you must love what you do. An artist looks at problems for many angles and inherently puts their love and soul into their work. The existence of an artist depends on her ability to make someone feel a certain way. This is something that I love about aviation. If the aircraft looks beautiful, it'll likely fly the same. We as humans actually can see physics. We think things that are beautiful when they're the product of a long chain of mother nature. Art is a form of communication. Communication in part should be used to make people around you great. Enable the people around you to be great. And to the extent you can, choose the people around you carefully. I chose my wife, Katie. We went to high school together. She's in the foxhole with me. We communicate. She sees me at my weakest, my most vulnerable state. Yet, she's willing to put everything in and trust me and me the same to her. We're different. She has this weird self-preservation gene. I don't. She embodies the things that I admire. She doesn't give a rat's ass about what people think. She's always the first one on the dance floor. I made a mental note to see how that was said in American Sign Language and I forgot to look. But I'm gonna learn it later. One of my mentors, this gentleman, Val Kagan, he said to me, the difference between physical property and intellectual property is that when I give you my physical property, I no longer have it. But if I give you intellectual property, we both have it. Nobody can take away your education, your intellectual property. You can share it and you can still have it. It's fascinating. Invest in teaching your friends and coworkers. Enable them to shine. Hire great people. It'll raise your level. Be a teacher. Thank you. I challenge everyone at Beta to invest in their colleagues. Own what you're great at and never look back. Don't feel like you need to be good at everything. Surround yourself with people that compliment you. Define yourself by what you love. The research actually shows that if you center your decision-making around passion, instead of the normal trajectory of career development, you end up learning faster and being more successful. I love to design, to think, to build, and to fly. And I love sharing, flying with others. It's how I've defined our company and how I've defined myself. You're leaving this place where you've been handed a schedule of classes. I know that it's not a normal schedule of classes. It works around normal life. You've been given problem sets and assignments and feedback, AKA grades. Now there's no defined path. So what do you do when you know what to do? And none of this advice seems to help. Just show up. Again, your crocodile brain will take over. And your experiences will be pushed into an algorithm. You didn't even know that was in your head. And this is the thing we call intuition. It'll create an answer. Just show up. This degree you're about to receive is one drawer in a big old toolbox. And you may not open the drawer and use the degree as a bargaining chip, but you'll certainly use the experiences here to help you achieve your vision. Don't bother with a strict plan. Think about what you want to achieve, whether it be in family and life and music. Start making progress towards your vision now and do it with your blinders off with an open mind. Congratulations on getting here. I hope you can take one piece from my experiences and apply it someday. Be it embracing challenges, sharing your knowledge, loving what you do, being an artist. And if none of that made any sense to you, just wear your seatbelt in the way home. Thank you. I'll adjust this bag down, Kyle. It is now time to turn our attention to the moment that you've been waiting for, the awarding of your degrees. The many people who have helped you reach this moment are here in the audience to celebrate your achievements. I ask the families, friends, and supporters of our graduates to rise, and I ask graduates to join me in thanking them. Thank you. CCV has a long-standing tradition that you will share in today. As you leave the platform after you receive your diplomas, CCV staff members will present you with a red carnation. This flower is a symbol of the many people in your lives who have helped you reach this day. Now, Academic Dean Debbie Stewart will present the class of 2023. Debbie? President Judy, it is my pleasure to present to you the graduating class of 2023, all of whom have met the requirements for the Associate Degree. By the authority vested in the Community College of Vermont by the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges, I confer upon you the class of 2023, the Associate Degree. Will the graduates from Bennington please stand and come to this end of the stage, and I ask graduates from all the other centers to please stay seated until they are invited forward by one of the ushers. So, Bennington graduates, please come forward to that side of the stage. Now announcing the graduates from the Bennington Center, Kaleen Hanam. What's your name? Anna Amadal. Molly Blackmer. Angie Ryan. Krista Shanile. Ray Crane. Adriana Ennis. Cassie Fersenidi. Alexis Grisales. Mikaelyn Held. Evan Lawrence. Elissa Madison. Brooklyn Merriam. Jarell Watts. And now the graduates from the Brattleborough Center. Tiffany Allen. Isabel Buffum. Melissa Sutton. And now announcing the graduates from the Middlebury Center. Rebecca Hanley. Jenna Howlett. Justin Kuntz. Kelly O'Keefe. Jackie Prime. Jamie Robertson. Whitney Rujir. Rose Swinton. And now the graduates from the Montpelier Center. Andrea Bottigi. Blake Clark. Jennifer Driscoll. Taylor Doracy. Deanne Heather Fassett. Nicole Gallop. Sasha Lees. Ruby Clareich. Madison McDonald. Sarah Quigley. Candy Russ. Jasmine Sawyer. Brendan Smith. Michelle Tansley. Sarah Tomaszewski. Rain Towns. Munn Ward. Hannah Williams. And now the graduates from the Morrisville Center. Angie Audette. Mariah Earl. Eliza Fitzgerald. Sarah Corkulis. Eric Livingstone. Brandy McAllister. Shane McGinnis. Wolf Whitney. And now the graduates from the Newport Center. Mara Aria Morris. Venka Morse. Phoebe Stoddard. Laura Tibidow. Denise Van Gordon. Trin Wheeler. Rachel Wilhawk. And now graduates from the Online Learning Center. Alara Bourgeois. Shirley Koda. Samantha Corkins. Ryan Fancor. Katrina Fuller. Taylor Goodchild. Jess Kimball. Emma Latimer. Kaylee Manning. Hunter Prim. Melanie Perra. Jen Steck. Jack Taylor. Francesca Terenzini. And now announcing the graduates from the Rutland Center. Bailey Austin. Gabrielle Chadwick. Sarah Gordon. Elijah Jones. Brianna Lapri. Sue Lawrence. Bianca Madrigal. Donald Francis Nichols Jr. Cyrus Smith. Alyssa Sidlowski. And now announcing the graduates from the St. Albans Center. Sabrina Elaine. William Bosworth. Shiana Bourne. Anna Brace. Sarah Karner. Calvin Caswell. Jason Flower. Jaden Fox. Jenna Garrison. Eleanor Horner. Samantha Miller. Julia Poeple. Julie Rinaldi. Talitha Roke. Christina Smith. Now announcing the graduates from the St. Johnsbury Center. Sonia Carr. Megan Makai. Maia Mankucci. Now announcing the graduates from the Upper Valley Center. Martha Adams. Allison Clayton. Becca Fisher. Rand Frazier. Bergren Alexandra Schultz Keats. Matthew Alan Moore. Brittany Murphy. Kevin McReil. Rebecca Nosseder. Judith Powell. Jessica Rodiman. Shaleen Stevens. Elizabeth Swift. And now announcing the graduates from the Winooski Center. Barwona Abdulrahmanova. Jared Adams-White. Mohamed Almolgale. Susha Benoit. Yasmina Beshervich. Jasmine DeLude. Paul Friedman. Olivia Jiru. David Harrington. Lindsay Hart. Faith Holbrook. Ariana Chrabowski. Dale Ingram. Chandrika Kaduraya. Vera Kambeche. Musa Khan. Peggy Kulemfuka. Colby Lamarsh. Brittany Lennemann. Josephine Lenski. Jessica Malbin. Casey Meyer. Caitlyn McMahon. Ryan Merton. Casey Walker Metcalf. Hamza Mosey. Neal Mukweke. Mikaela Neroshoff. Bikash Podil. Cindy Reed Patnode. Stacey Savage. Emily Shortsleeve. Mariel Stokes. Dawah Tamang. Travis Wilkinson. Now graduates, if you'll please direct your attention to the front of the aisle, where did Kevin go? And Kevin is going to lead the class in moving their tassels from right to left. Come on over here, Kevin. And now you can move your tassels from right to left. Congratulations to the class of 2023. We are proud that CCV has been a part of your journey. And we hope you will take the time to celebrate this moment. As you move on to your new chapters, we trust that you will continue to call on your own unique qualities, as well as what you have learned here to build stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive communities wherever you go. The group on the platform will lead the graduates out. I ask the audience to remain seated until the graduates have completed the recessional. Thank you so much. And again, congratulations.