[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 18 (Monday, May 7, 2007)]
[Pages 542-545]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Commencement Address at Miami Dade College--Kendall Campus in Miami, 
Florida

April 28, 2007

    Thank you very much, Mr. President. You're on your way. [Laughter] 
Christopher, thank you for your fine introduction. I know--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 is always a pleasure to be back here to Miami, and I thank Dr. 
Padron for asking me. It hasn't escaped my attention that 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,

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``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. 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 are 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 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

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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.
    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 will 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 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.
    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

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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 
Eduardo J. Padron, president, Miami Dade College; Christopher Miles, 
student government president, and Gregory Gray, president, Miami Dade 
College--Kendall Campus; and former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida.