Commemorative Speech I gave on 12/4/07

In about two weeks, I’ll be graduating with an Associate’s Degree in Visual Communications from Western TC in La Crosse, WI. It’s something that I never thought would happen since I graduated high school in 2000 and told myself I’d never go back to school again.

However, I’m not just graduating with a degree. I’ve gained a lot of experience in my extra cirricular activities such as being an RA at Western TC’s dorms, Student Government, and City Affairs.

If it weren’t for my instructors and advisors here at Western, I wouldn’t have gotten involved in these things. The instructors here at Western have really shown me that they’re interested in students being successful here. It doesn’t matter what department you’re taking a class in. I’ve interacted with so many instructors here on campus, and all of them have the interest in helping students achieve their goals. Some instructor’s personalities may be different or harder to work with, but if you show them you’re putting in the time and effort, they will work with you.

I hate math. I really hate math! I needed to pass math! It came down to final exam time at the end of my first semester. My math instructor handed out a practice exam to the class. I didn’t want to do it, but I did. I took the exam to my instructor during my free time. He graded it, and then handed it back to me. I told him to give me another one. I completed it and brought it back to him. I did that about twelve times. It probably annoyed him, but I wanted to get a good grade.

It was Final Exam day. My instructor handed out the exam. I looked at it for a minute. It was the same practice exam! It wasn’t a mistake either. This goes to show that instructors do value hard work.

Denise, Shelley, Dave, and Mark are a few faculty members and instructors that have kept me motivated and really listen when it came down to where I want to go with myself.

Whenever I go visit Denise, one of the Vice Presidents for Western, she always makes me feel at home in her office. She offers me candy, and goes out of her way to answer a question that she doesn’t know.

Shelley has been a mentor to me since the first day I set foot in her office. Shelley is the boss that oversees the hall director and the RAs. I wasn’t an RA my first year, but I was having problems with my roomate. I kept putting up with things that I shouldn’t have to deal with. As soon as I went to her, things got fixed. She also was my advisor for Student Government when I became Vice President in 2006. She taught me great time management tips, and I learned from her that it’s easier to manage time when you have a busier schedule.

Dave is a very well known instructor on campus. He really cares about his students. I’ve developed a personal relationship with him, and he has given me great advice about things happening in my life. Last fall, I went over to his house to rake leaves for some extra cash. I got to meet his family, and they cooked me an awesome breakfast while I was there. He is also a big supporter of my efforts with Operation: River Watch and promoting alcohol awareness in La Crosse.

Mark is my Visual Communications advisor. He has given me tons of info on what directions to go after my time here at Western. He’s also the person I have the most in common with. We both like technology, and tend to discover the new breakthroughs before anyone else. He’s given me the time to figure out my own creativity. Video projects in our classes tend to take uncanny amounts of time to complete. Today he still uses a couple of my projects as example for incoming Vis-Com students.

I got what I needed here at Western, and that was confidence. I needed confidence that I could do well in school. Everything that happened on the side was a bonus for me. I never saw myself getting involved as much I have here in La Crosse, because I was a really shy person in High School. I’m going to personally thank all the people I mentioned, and more. It’s been a great ride, and I’m ready for the next step.

It’s less than a month, and I graduate from Western Technical College in La Crosse. I’m moving back to Appleton for a bit, and then choosing a University to attend. I could end up going back and attend UW-L. My classes would transfer with no problems, and then graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Telecommunications within 2 years.

I enjoy working with people and being more interactive. Broadcast-Journalism seems to have my better interests. I looked at all the Universities around Wisconsin, and it looks like Eau Claire might be worth looking into. The University of Boulder, CO looks to have a great program. It’s a pocket buster, but I’d be closer to Olivia.

Ross