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Commencement Address Prepared for Delivery by
U.S.
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Columbus School of Law
The Catholic
University of America
Washington, D.C.
Saturday, May 29, 2004
Graduates, parents, family members and friends, faculty and
administrators—I am delighted to join you for the 115th
commencement of the Columbus School of Law.
I want to commend, Father O’Connell’s [The Very Reverend
David M. O'Connell, President of CUA] leadership, Dean [William F.]
Fox [Jr.] and the entire faculty. You are a big part of what makes this
university such a special place in our nation’s capital. In fact, Dean Fox
is so concerned about you that he asked me to pass along a special message:
pay attention to the bar examination!
As you, graduates, stand on the threshold of a new professional life,
you should be confident in the opportunities available to you.
You are fortunate to be entering a world that offers you an
unprecedented variety of opportunities to realize your dreams.
Only a few decades ago, employees and workers spent their entire lives
working inflexible hours with one or two organizations.
Today, all that has changed. More and more people work away from the
office, with flexible working arrangements. And the average 34-year-old will
have changed jobs 9 times over the course of his or her career.
Despite some of the headlines about the economy in some papers, the fact
remains that there are many growth sectors creating new opportunities.
Our economy has seen eight straight months of job creation, with 1.1
million new jobs created since August 2003.
The unemployment rate nationally is 5.6 percent. Although higher than
we’d like it to be, that’s lower than the average unemployment rate
of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Many of you will pursue careers in Washington
before your return home. So you should know that the Washington, D.C.,
metropolitan area has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the
nation—just three percent in March. And Washington has another thing going
for it: abundant opportunities for women professionals. The median income of
women professionals in this area is the highest in the nation. And the
Washington metropolitan area has the highest proportion of women employed in
managerial and professional occupations. This has special meaning for
me—half of the top leadership of the Department of Labor is composed of
women, the best record of any Cabinet Department.
Those of us who serve in Washington share another bond with the class of
2004. The day students began their studies just two weeks before
the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001. None of us will ever forget the
tragic images of that day and what it was like to be in the nation’s
capital.
It is very fitting that you are graduating at the very same time and day
that the President is dedicating the national memorial to the veterans of World
War II. The memories of September 11, 2001, and the tributes on the Mall today
remind us that freedom is a precious gift and that others have sacrificed to
protect it. As advocates of the rule of law, you will have a role in
maintaining the freedom and opportunity that makes American such a beacon of
hope in the world.
Preferring freedom and opportunity has a special resonance with me
personally, because I came to America as an immigrant from Asia when I was 8
years old.
My parents left everything familiar behind so that they could give their
children the freedom and opportunity that America offers.
Our initial years in this country were very difficult. We didn’t
speak the language, didn’t understand the culture and traditions of this
country. We had neither family nor friends in this new country.
Yet, we survived and thrived through the generous help of newly found
friends and neighbors. I will always remember the many kindnesses of strangers
to a young immigrant family new to these shores.
Like so many other newcomers, we were assisted in our early years by
members of the catholic community. Education is very important in Asian
culture. So when my father came to America, he wanted to pursue an advanced
degree. But civil war prevented him from taking his university transcript when
he left China, his homeland, in 1949. A number of well-known American
universities, therefore, turned him down.
But a New York catholic priest heard about my father. And even though my
family was not Catholic, he arranged for my father to get an interview with the
Dean of St. John’s University and he was accepted. My father worked very
hard and went on to earn a graduate degree. That education was key to building
a better life for his family.
My family and I will always be grateful in ways that words alone cannot
express. If a catholic university hadn’t been there for my father, I
don’t think I’d be standing here before you today. That is why I am
especially pleased to participate in these ceremonies and to honor another
catholic institution that has provided opportunities for so many.
As I look back upon a career that has spanned the nonprofit, for-profit
and government sectors, I have a few observations that I hope I may share with
you.
First, in most other countries there were only a few paths to success.
But in America, there are many ways to achieve your dreams. Each person is free
to create his or her own path. You have a head start because the discipline of
the law is a strong foundation for many different career paths.
Second, learning new things doesn’t stop when you leave campus. Our
economy is changing rapidly. In this environment, it is crucial to continually
update your skills and knowledge base. That means developing a commitment to
lifelong learning.
Third, don’t be afraid to fail. In America, few mistakes are fatal.
So if things don’t go right, pick yourself up and try again. Our country
values and rewards persistence.
As you progress in your careers, you will find that success is about
more than professional achievement. It’s also about helping others. No
other country in the world has such a wonderful tradition of helping others
unconnected by blood or marriage as America. The Frenchman Alexis de
Tocqueville, during his tour of America in the 1830s, noted that Americans were
unique in their passion to form associations to address community problems.
That commitment to compassion has only increased through the years. So as you
embark on your next adventure in life, I hope that you will honor this great
tradition and remember to give back to your community.
President George W. Bush created the USA Freedom Corps to provide
meaningful opportunities for Americans to serve their neighbors. He has asked
all Americans to dedicate at least two years or 4,000 hours over their lives in
service to others. By doing so, you will be adding to the millions of acts of
kindness and generosity that are strengthening our country, one heart and one
soul at a time.
Some people claim that America is the strongest nation because it has
the mightiest army. But the President has said that America is great because of
the compassion and generosity of its people. It is the character of the
American people that makes our nation such a force for good in the world.
Giving back to others is a way to earn the freedoms we
enjoy. At the ceremonies on the Mall today, I was reminded of the movie
“Saving Private Ryan.” It tells the story of a group of soldiers
during World War II, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice to rescue a
Private Ryan.
In the movie, Captain Miller who leads the mission is mortally wounded.
But before he dies, he tells the young Private Ryan the two most powerful words
he would ever hear, “Earn it.”
Years later, an elderly, former Private Ryan visits the grave of Captain
Miller with his family. With tears in his eyes he asks, “Have I been a
good man?” He wanted to “earn it!”
Private Ryan never forgot that others had sacrificed so he and his
family could live in freedom.
Today, men and women in uniform, whom we will never meet,
are making the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation, spread freedom and
uphold rule of law. Because of them, we will continue to enjoy freedom,
opportunity and security in our homeland.
The best way to repay them—and the generations who sacrificed for
us before them—is to earn it. So as you make your way in
life, I hope you’ll remember to cultivate a grateful heart, to thank the
people at home who made sacrifices for you, to share with others and to give
back to your community.
May God be your light. And may God bless America.
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