    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [May 11, 2007]
    [Pages 568-572]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Commencement Address at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania
    May 11, 2007

        Thank you. Go ahead and be seated. Thank you. Thanks for coming.
    Thank you all. Please be seated. Thank you for the warm welcome.
    Archabbot Douglas, Your
    Excellency, Jim
    and Mary Towey, members of the faculty, members
    of the clergy,

    [[Page 569]]

    moms and dads, and, most important, the class of 2007: Thanks for
    inviting me. I am honored to be here.
        Laura and I feel like we have a very special connection to St.
    Vincent College through the Toweys. We have come to know Jim and his family well during his time in Washington--
    after all, he was the Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based
    and Community Initiatives. And now he's attained another high office. So
    today, before his family, his friends, and colleagues--I would like to
    address Jim with two words he probably never thought he would hear from
    me: Mr. President. [Laughter]
        I know he appreciates the importance I
    place on my speeches. He knows my style well. I want all of you to know
    I was very moved by a letter he recently sent me that invited me to this
    commencement. Here is what Mr. President said, ``Mr. President, I
    believe that by hearing you speak, every member of the class of 2007
    will leave this campus with a priceless lesson about the importance of
    the English language.'' [Laughter] At least he didn't say, ``I'm proud
    to welcome to the podium a man, the first President for whom English was
    his second language.'' [Laughter] I did call him. I said what my speech
    ought to be about. That's what I asked him, what my speech ought to be
    about, Jim. He said, ``About 10 minutes''--so here goes. [Laughter]
        It's a proud moment for the class of 2007. You're the largest
    graduating class in your school's history. You're the first class to
    take a mandatory course in microwaving--[laughter]--a requirement that
    was imposed after you set off a record number of fire alarms while you
    were trying to make popcorn. [Laughter] You cheered the Bearcats with
    the Carey Crazies. You walked through the lighted arches of Melvin
    Platz. Some of you are the first in your family to attend college. In a
    few moments, you will collect your degrees, the Ave Maria bell will
    ring, and you will leave this campus with a lifetime of good memories.
    You've worked hard, and we're all here to congratulate you on a fabulous
    achievement.
        I also congratulate the many people who helped make this day
    possible, starting with your parents, who paid your tuition and were
    patient, even after the phone bills arrived. [Laughter] I thank the
    people of the--who have worked hard to make sure you leave with a sound
    and solid college degree, and that's the St. Vincent's faculty. I
    appreciate very much the monks of the Archabbey, the men whose prayers
    are surely responsible for some of the degrees being offered today.
    [Laughter] And so I ask the class of 2007 to continue to make these good
    people proud; to take what you've learned here into the world, and
    always live up to the high ideals that this college stands for.
        At the heart of these high ideals is the name Benedict. Benedict was
    the saint who set down a practical guide for community life and helped
    save Western civilization. Benedict was the inspiration for the man who
    came to this country to plant these ideals in American soil and founded
    this college. And Benedict was also the inspiration for the Pope, who took his name in tribute to the Benedictine
    ideals of charity and community that he believes the world needs now
    more than ever.
        These ideals of charity and community have a special resonance for
    Americans. From the beginning, America has offered the world a new model
    for strong community life. In the early 19th century, a Frenchman named
    Alexis de Tocqueville visited the United States. He was impressed by the
    way Americans came together in voluntary associations to help out a
    neighbor in need. And in his book, ``Democracy in America,'' he wrote
    something that captured the spirit of this great country. He said:
    ``When an American asks for the cooperation of his fellow citizens, it
    is seldom refused. If some great and sudden calamity

    [[Page 570]]

    befalls a family, the purses of a thousand strangers are at once
    willingly opened.''
        De Tocqueville saw the good heart of America back in the early 19th
    century. And we continue to see the good heart of America in the early
    21st century. We see it in citizens who responded to the worst atrocity
    on our soil with acts of selflessness and compassion. We see it in the
    historic new commitments our Nation has made to alleviate poverty and
    suffering, by feeding the hungry and fighting malaria and working to end
    the scourge of HIV/AIDS on the continent of Africa.
        We see it in the volunteers who serve in our faith-based and
    community organizations, good and decent folks who are living the
    commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. Today, more than 61
    million Americans volunteer their time to serve others, more than three-
    quarters of adults give to charity. The volunteer spirit of America
    makes us unique: it represents the true strength of our Nation, and it
    must constantly be reinvigorated and renewed.
        And that's why it's vital for our country that our young people step
    forward and serve a cause larger than yourselves. When you serve your
    fellow citizens, you find benefits you'll never imagine. You discover
    that a caring person is sometimes all it takes for someone to turn their
    lives around. You see for yourself that kindness and respect make an
    enormous difference in a person's life. You learn to take the
    initiative, instead of waiting for a government to step in. You become
    more aware of others, a better man or woman to your friends and
    families, a better citizen of your country. You start to put your own
    difficulties in perspective. And soon you learn a great truth: that you
    always get more out of service than you give.
        Your generation's willingness to serve will define the character of
    our Nation, and us older folks have good reason to be confident.
    Americans now in college are more likely to volunteer or become engaged
    in civic life than previous generations. Here at St. Vincent College,
    you have learned that service outside the classroom is as important as
    what you learn inside the classroom. The challenge for you is to keep
    this up as you begin your new careers and your new families and your new
    lives. So today I ask you to make service more than a line on your
    resume. Find a need that is not being met, do your part to fill it, make
    a difference to our country.
        I'm pleased to see that the class of 2007 is answering the call. In
    the graduating class today are five students who have volunteered to
    wear our Nation's uniform. You knew the risks of serving in a time of
    war, and you have volunteered to accept those risks. You have chosen a
    noble calling. You will take your place as officers in the finest
    military the world has ever known. At some point, the lives of other men
    and women will be in your hands, and they will need leaders of character
    and selflessness. As your Commander in Chief, I salute you for your
    service, and I ask Almighty God to keep you close as you keep our Nation
    safe.
        There are many ways to serve our Nation. Across this great land of
    opportunity, we have citizens with great needs. And for every need,
    there is a path to service.
        Some of you have chosen the path of teaching. We all know a teacher
    who has made a difference in our lives. In my case, I married her. [Laughter] The First Lady showed me that teaching is
    more than a job or profession, it is a vocation. When you make the
    decision to become a teacher, you know that your reward will be greater
    than money. It will happen in wonderful moments when you see a student
    grasp a difficult concept, or come alive during the reading of a poem,
    or discover how a work of history speaks to our time. To do this for
    even one child is special. To do this for hundreds of children over a
    career will bring you satisfaction that few other professions can match.
        The beauty of teaching is that its rewards can be found in any
    classroom. Some of

    [[Page 571]]

    you know this from your visits to St. Benedict's, an all-boys school in
    one of the poorest areas of New Jersey. For many of these boys, St.
    Benedict's is their only safe haven from crime and drugs and
    hopelessness around them. Each Christmas holiday, several St. Vincent
    students spend time mentoring these young men.
        One of your classmates, Anthony Fiumara,
    spent two breaks at St. Benedict's. Here's how he describes the
    experience: ``I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher. But my time
    at Saint Ben's showed me that a teacher could become more than a
    dispenser of knowledge. When I talked with the students about their
    dreams of attending college, I realized that as a teacher, I would be
    the one that would help them achieve their dreams.''
        Our Nation needs more teachers like Anthony. I'm so pleased that nearly four dozen members
    of this class have chosen to go into teaching. I thank you. And as you
    go forth, I ask you to set high standards in your classroom. Challenge
    the soft bigotry of low expectations. Teach your students with respect.
    And always remember the ideals that attracted you to this noble
    profession.
        Some of you may not yet have decided the best way to serve. It's
    okay. The Government can't put love in your heart. But what we can do is
    when you find love and find the drive, we can help put it in action. And
    that's why I created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
    that Mr. President ran. Through this office,
    we are helping to ensure that Federal funds for social service go to
    organizations that get results, even if they happen to have a crucifix
    or a Star of David on the wall.
        We also established the USA Freedom Corps to help mobilize
    volunteers to bring the comfort and kindness of America to people both
    at home and abroad. Today, hundreds of thousands of volunteers mentor
    children; they assist the elderly; they build schools and clinics; they
    respond to natural disasters. No matter what your interests, no matter
    what your skills, there is a place for every one of you to serve in our
    armies--our Nation's armies of compassion.
        Even if you can't devote yourself to a career of service, you can
    make a life of service. We have that on good authority from one of
    President Towey's great heroes: Mother
    Teresa. Mother Teresa's whole life was dedicated to doing small things
    with great love. I'm pleased that Jim is taking a group of you to
    Calcutta later this month. I hope it helps inspire a new generation to
    carry on her good works. In almost every documentary about Mother
    Teresa, you see her going to the side of someone who is suffering
    terribly, often about to die. She treats them with great gentleness,
    squeezing their hands and whispering words of comfort. Their look of
    wonder tells you that these are people who may be feeling loved for the
    first time in their lives. As they look up at Mother Teresa, their eyes
    say: Here's someone who cares.
        One of your classmates, Kara Shirley, knows
    what I'm talking about. Just 2 months ago, Kara went on a service
    project to Brazil where she visited an AIDS clinic. The clinic was
    called Hope and Life. While there, she and the other students helped
    clean up after the patients, administer their medicine, and just sit by
    their bedsides holding their hands. One of these patients was a man who
    weighed just about 70 pounds. When he was sent to this clinic, he had
    already been given his death certificate. But that only told the people
    at the clinic that this man needed even more love.
        Here's how Kara puts it: ``This man was so
    weak he could not even speak. But when I held his hand, he turned his
    head, and you could feel the gratitude. It was one of the most moving
    experiences of my life, and by the end of my time there, I didn't want
    to leave.'' Kara's gesture was a--seemed like a small thing to hold a
    man's hand. But because it was done with great

    [[Page 572]]

    love, it helped fill a dying man's final days with dignity and grace.
        I've met thousands of volunteers like Kara
    who serve their fellow citizens in many different ways. They put
    themselves in some of the harshest places in our country and in the
    world. Yet instead of telling me how hard they have it, they always tell
    me how fortunate they are.
        You can know this joy in your own lives. All you need is a warm
    heart and a willing pair of hands. When Mother Teresa accepted her Nobel
    Prize, she told the story about visiting a nursing home. At first she
    was impressed by the home because it was attractive and well equipped.
    But she soon noticed that none of the residents were smiling; all were
    looking at the door. When she asked why everyone seemed so sad, one of
    the caretakers explained: ``They are hurt because they are forgotten.''
    They stared at the door in the hope that it would open and someone who
    loved them would walk through it.
        My challenge to you today is this: Be the person who walks through
    that door. Be the face that brings a smile to the hurt and forgotten.
    Lead lives of purpose and character, make a difference in someone else's
    life. And if you do, you will lead richer lives, you will build a more
    hopeful nation, and you'll never be disappointed.
        My congratulations to you all. I ask for the Almighty God's
    blessings on you and your life. Thanks for letting me come and share my
    thoughts.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:24 a.m. in the Robert S. Carey Student
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to Rev. Douglas R. Nowicki,
    archabbot and chancellor, and H. James Towey, president, St. Vincent
    College; Archbishop of Washington Donald W. Wuerl; Mary Towey, wife of
    H. James Towey; and Pope Benedict XVI.