    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book I)]
    [April 28, 2007]
    [Pages 497-501]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Commencement Address at Miami Dade College--Kendall Campus in Miami,
    Florida
    April 28, 2007

        Thank you all. Thank you all very much. Thank you very much, Mr.
    President. You're on your way. [Laughter]
    Christopher, thank you for your fine introduction. I know your--see your
    mom over there. I know she's awfully proud of you. [Laughter] Dr.
    Padron; Dr. Gray;
    members of the board of trustees; members of the administration; faculty
    and staff; former Governor Bush--always mi
    hermano--[laughter]--Senator Martinez; Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart; y tambien Mario Diaz-Balart; proud alumni, especially Congresswoman Ileana Ros-
    Lehtinen; distinguished guests; family,
    friends, and members of the class of 2007: Thank you for your warm
    welcome, and thank you for the honor of addressing you.
        This is a joyous day for the graduating class at Miami Dade College.
    Yet on campuses across America, our thoughts turn to the students and
    faculty and staff at Virginia Tech. We remember lives cut short,
    teachers taken from their students, and young men and women who will
    never attend their commencement ceremonies. Members of the Miami-Dade
    community share this sense of loss. One of the young victims was a
    former Miami Dade student who transferred to Virginia Tech, Daniel
    Cueva. Daniel's family knows, or should know, that we pray for them
    today, and we offer our comfort to the families who grieve the loss of a
    loved one during this commencement season.
        It's always a pleasure to be back here to Miami, and I thank Dr.
    Padron for asking me. It hasn't escaped my
    attention that

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    when you were looking for Bushes to invite--[laughter]--I came in
    fourth. [Laughter] Laura spoke at your North
    Campus commencement in 2004, my mother spoke--
    [laughter]--brother Jeb has spoken here twice.
    [Laughter] Before I stepped on the stage, I asked him for some advice. I
    said, ``Jeb, give me some advice.'' He said, ``Floridians hold their
    politicians to strict term limits: 8 years for a Governor and 15 minutes
    for a commencement speaker.'' [Laughter] I will do my best.
        This afternoon, some of you are graduating with high honors, and I
    congratulate you. I have to--[applause]--that's something I never
    experienced. [Laughter] Of course, today I have done something that most
    of you have never experienced; I made it to campus with absolutely no
    traffic. [Laughter] And I found a nice parking spot. [Laughter]
        The members of the class of 2007 have worked hard for this day. When
    you arrived on this campus, you set a goal for yourselves, and you met
    that goal with determination and discipline. Today you're leaving this
    fine college with a degree with your name on it and a promise of a
    better future. And I congratulate you on this important achievement.
        To reach this day, you had the support of outstanding professors.
    They taught you well; they gave you extra help when you needed it; and
    they inspired you to aim high. I thank the faculty members for their
    dedication to their students and for their dedication to the teaching
    profession.
        To reach this day, you also had the support of loving families. Many
    of you had moms and dads who sacrificed to put you through school and to
    give you this opportunity. Others of you put yourselves through school
    while providing for your own families. Those of you with young children
    found yourselves keeping tabs on two sets of homework--yours and theirs.
    I ask all the families--the moms and dads, husbands and wives, sons and
    daughters, to receive--to stand and receive the thanks of the class of
    2007.
        As this graduating class goes forward, you enter a world of
    unbounded opportunity. America's economy is prospering; our trade with
    the world is flourishing; and new possibilities are opening every day.
    And the key to unlocking those possibilities is a good education.
        Here at Miami Dade, the college administration has teamed with local
    industries, from health care to aviation to information technology, to
    make sure the students who leave here do so with the skills that will
    enable them to succeed. The school slogan is, ``Opportunity changes
    everything.'' And in newspapers and billboards and buses around this
    city, people can see how high you can rise with a degree from Miami
    Dade.
        Kathy Sparger graduated from Miami Dade
    with a degree in nursing, and today she is vice president of patient
    services and chief nursing officer at South Miami Hospital. Jimmie
    Allen graduated from Miami Dade with a degree
    in architectural technology and went on to start his own architecture
    firm. Robert Parker graduated from Miami Dade
    with a degree in criminal justice, and today he is the director of the
    Miami-Dade Police Department. These people have followed different paths
    in life, but they all have one thing in common: their road to success
    began right here at Miami Dade.
        And today you join their ranks as proud graduates of this fine
    college. If you leave here determined to succeed, as they did, you will
    achieve your dreams as well. I ask you to dream big, to be confident in
    your future, and use the diploma you receive today to stake your claim
    in this land of opportunity.
        The opportunities of America make our land a beacon of hope for
    people from every corner of the world. It says something about this
    college that more than half of the students were raised speaking a
    language other than English. Some of you are

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    the children and grandchildren of immigrants who risked everything to
    give you opportunities they never had. Others of you are immigrants
    yourself, who came to this country with the hope of a better life and
    the determination to work for it. Over the years, this school has helped
    open the door for opportunity for hundreds of thousands of immigrants,
    and that is why Miami Dade proudly calls itself ``democracy's college.''
        This college has had a significant impact on thousands of our
    citizens. Take, for example, Gwen Belfon, who
    graduates today. As a single mother in Trinidad and Tobago, Gwen dreamed
    of attending college. But she put her own dreams on hold to raise her
    four children. A few years ago, Gwen came to the United States and
    enrolled at Miami Dade. Today this proud mother fulfills a lifelong
    dream. When Gwen crosses the stage this afternoon, she will receive her
    associate's degree in education. And she's not done yet. Next January,
    she will return to Miami Dade to start on her bachelor's degree.
        For--[applause]--another immigrant who knows what a Miami Dade
    degree can do is the president of this college, Dr. Padron. At age 15, he left his home and family in Cuba for
    a new life in the United States. He arrived with a desire to learn and a
    will to succeed. At Miami Dade, he earned a degree in economics, while
    still learning the English language. Today, he is the first president of
    this college to speak English as a second language. Some people might
    say I am the first President of the United States who can make the same
    claim. [Laughter] Dr. Padron has gone on to serve as a leader in the
    academic community and an inspiring example for immigrants studying at
    this school today.
        Immigrants like Gwen and Eduardo
    Padron came from different countries, at
    different times, under different circumstances. They are evidence that
    in America, your origins matter less than your dreams. They prove that
    if you work hard and make a commitment to learning, you will find that
    the doors have a way of opening for you. So my call is this: Use the
    degree you earn today as the first step in a lifetime of learning. By
    doing so, you'll build a brighter future for yourselves and your
    families and help maintain the promise of the United States of America.
        Maintaining the promise of America requires that we remain an open
    and welcoming society. This college serves the City of Miami, which is
    one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in our Nation. Miami is
    home to people whose families have been in Florida for generations and
    to those who have only just arrived. This diversity is one of the great
    strengths of this city, it is one of the great strengths of this
    college, and it is one of the great strengths of America.
        Over the years, America's ability to assimilate new immigrants has
    set us apart from other nations. What makes us Americans is a shared
    belief in democracy and liberty. And now our Nation faces a vital
    challenge: to build an immigration system that upholds these ideals and
    meets America's needs in the 21st century.
        In Washington, we are in the midst of an important discussion about
    immigration. Our current immigration system is in need of reform; it is
    not working. We need a system where our laws are respected. We need a
    system that meets the legitimate needs of our economy. And we need a
    system that treats people with dignity and helps newcomers assimilate
    into our society.
        We must address all elements of this problem together or none of
    them will be solved at all. And we must do it in a way that learns from
    the mistakes that caused the previous reforms to fail. I am a strong
    supporter of comprehensive immigration reform that will allow us to
    secure our borders and enforce our laws once and for all, that will keep
    us competitive in a global economy, and that will resolve the status of
    those who are already here, without amnesty and without animosity.

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        At Miami Dade, you know firsthand the contributions that immigrants
    make to our country. You see every day the values of hard work and
    family and faith that immigrants bring. This experience gives you a
    special responsibility to make your voices heard. One of the great
    strengths of America is that the most important issues are decided by
    the will of the people. That's why an educated citizenry is so vital to
    the success of our country. As graduates of Miami Dade, you are well-
    equipped to make a contribution to these vital debates. Speak out on the
    issues that matter to you. Participate in your Nation's civic life. By
    taking part in American democracy, you will be active and responsible
    citizens and you will make our country stronger.
        Many of the graduates of the class of 2007 have roots in countries
    where the opportunity to participate in an open debate does not exist.
    One of those countries lies just 90 miles from our shores, on the island
    of Cuba. In Havana and other Cuban cities, there are people just like
    you who are attending school and dreaming of a better life.
    Unfortunately, those dreams are stifled by a cruel dictatorship that
    denies all freedom in the name of a dark and discredited ideology.
        Some of you still have loved ones who live in Cuba and wait for the
    day when the light of liberty will shine upon them again. That day is
    nearing. The reign of every tyrant comes to an end, yet the desire for
    freedom is never ending. In Cuba and across the world, all who struggle
    for freedom have a friend in the United States, and we will stand with
    them until that struggle is won.
        The advance of liberty is the great story of our time. Some of your
    fellow students have played an important part in that story. Hundreds of
    veterans of the United States Armed Forces are taking classes at Miami
    Dade. Sixteen veterans graduate from this campus today. We thank all
    these brave men and women for their service and for their courageous
    decision to wear the uniform of the United States of America.
        One of those veterans is a young man named Jimmy Zapata. Jimmy's family emigrated from Colombia when he was 14.
    After he finished high school, he enlisted in the United States Marine
    Corps. In 2003, Sergeant Zapata helped provide convoy security and
    supplies for units pushing toward Baghdad as a part of Operation Iraqi
    Freedom. Sergeant Zapata fought for his adopted country with honor and
    valor. He has earned the gratitude of his Nation, and today he earns his
    associate's degree from Miami Dade College. The United States will
    always be proud to have immigrants like Sergeant Zapata, and I know
    Miami Dade will always be proud to call him one of your own.
        I ask every member of the class of 2007 to learn from Sergeant
    Zapata's example; step forward to serve a cause
    larger than yourself. Volunteer in a local soup kitchen or shelter. Take
    time to check in on an elderly neighbor. Be a mentor to a child in need.
    Use the skills you have learned here to help build a better nation. Our
    armies of compassion need men and women like you. The great test of this
    generation will be how you answer the call to extend the promise of
    America and make our Nation a more hopeful place for all. The character
    of the class of 2007 gives me great faith in your success and confidence
    in the future of a nation that makes one people from out of many.
        Congratulations on your achievement. Que Dios les bendiga. May God
    bless you.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:13 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Christopher Miles, president, Student Government Association, and
    Gregory Gray, president, Miami Dade College--Kendall Campus; Eduardo J.
    Padron, president, Miami Dade College; and former Gov. Jeb Bush of
    Florida.

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