FIU graduation ceremonies begin

On Monday, April 27, Florida International University held the first of its five commencement ceremonies at U.S. Century Bank Arena on FIU’s University Park.

The ceremonies, during which about 3,000 students are expected to graduate, mark the last time President Modesto A. Maidique will preside over commencement. Maidique, who has been at FIU for almost 23 years and has led the university during a period of tremendous growth and achievements, has conferred degrees to more than 120,000 students. He announced in November that he would step down once a successor was named. FIU’s Board of Trustees on Saturday named Mark Rosenberg, former State University System chancellor and former FIU provost, as FIU’s next president.

During Monday’s morning ceremony, FIU awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws, to Steven Green, former U.S. ambassador to Singapore.

Here are some excerpts from Green’s remarks at the ceremony:

I am deeply honored to receive this Honorary Doctorate today, I am grateful to the Graduating Class of ’09 for sharing this important moment with me.
…

 FIU is not a stranger to the Green Family or the Green Family Foundation. Several years ago we had the honor and privilege of working with President Maidique to build a beautiful library on your campus. It was graciously named the Green Library, and then it was painted white. I’ve come to the conclusion the finding a white building called the Green Library is some sort of IQ test.

 You are graduating in a challenging period in our state and nation’s history. But with every challenge there emerges great opportunity and I hope that will be your focus. The one thing I am certain of, is during your lifetime, technology-driven change is a certainty. Your challenges and opportunity will be in a very different environment than my generation faced. How you deal with these challenges and the reality of globalism will make the difference in your success and the quality of your life. According to an old Proverb, “from success to failure is one step. From failure to success is a long road”.

 It is predicted that within 10 years the #1 English speaking country in the world will be China. According to the Department of Labor, today’s graduate will have 10 to 14 different jobs by the time they are 38 years old. Many of today’s college majors did not exist 10 years ago. According to former Secretary of Education Riley, some of the top 10 jobs of 2009 did not exist in 2004. Preparing students for jobs that did not exist, using technology that has not been invented. When starting a four-year technical or college degree, half of what you learn in the first year will be obsolete in the last year of study.

 …

So, as you can see, the world is changing at an accelerated rate. As you go forth from this graduation ceremony, remember the words of Mark Twain, “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

 Good Luck and Congratulations!.

The graduation ceremonies will conclude on Tuesday, April 28.

For more on commencement and the commencement honorees, visit http://newsarchives.fiu.edu/?p=3314