Be Local by congratulating local graduates
Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
Whether graduating college, high school or celebrating your promotion from preschool, elementary or junior high, you deserve a round of applause.
Be Local means recognizing the accomplishments of area graduates and encouraging their dreams as they plan their tomorrows.
Local college commencement speakers did just that at recent ceremonies as they sought to help graduates make the leap beyond their campuses. They commended the students for their achievements and offered perspectives on what’s important in life.
Penn State alumnus Mark Kempic noted the value of everyday lessons in his address to graduates of Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus.
“Every story you’ve ever connected with, every professor you’ve ever admired, every small thing that you’ve ever accomplished can be the catalyst for a future action,” said Kempic, according to a report on the campus website. “I want you to think about those small things that may have happened to you during your years at Penn State Fayette. I want you to hold on to them, because they will serve you well in the future.”
The website noted Kempic, chief transformation officer for NiSource, a leading natural gas and electric utility company, said he worked the night shift at Columbia Gas through a cooperative program to pay for his education. He credited his time as a Fayette student for his practical expertise, humility, and love of learning.
“The world changes and shifts beneath our feet. The rules aren’t the same from one day to another, one presidential administration to the next,” Kempic said. “In the midst of all these changes, what do you have? Your education and the small things you’ve picked up here and elsewhere along your life’s journey.”
David Barensfeld, president and CEO of Ellwood Group Inc., which makes steel forgings that are assembled into high-tech equipment for shipment around the world, addressed graduates of Waynesburg University.
As reported in the Herald-Standard’s sister newspaper, the Greene County Messenger, Barensfeld shared the philosophy that has led his company to success, including strategic risk, hard work and seeing ownership as stewardship.
“For me, the word ‘steward’ means you don’t feel that you are the sole owner of your business, with arbitrary freedom to sell it or shut it down on your own whim,” said Barensfeld. “Instead, you owe an on-going duty to your stakeholders — your customers, your employees and your shareholders — to do your best to try and carry on in good times and in bad, and to try and do better tomorrow than you did today.”
California University reported on its website that Washington County Commissioner Larry Maggi told graduates in his commencement address, “I am certain that the education you received here has prepared you for life, and now you are ready to achieve success as you define it.”
Maggi, who graduated California University in 1979, is a Marine Corps veteran and former Washington County sheriff. He spent 24 years as a state police trooper and criminal investigator before entering the political arena.
The website reported Maggi shared the story of a 5,578-mile motorcycle ride across the United States that he took a couple of years ago, urging, “Once in a while, disconnect the filter, remove the glass and look upon life without a transparent barrier.”
He noted, “It does not have to be from the back of a motorcycle, but it does have to be with your own eyes and your own senses. You will find the world as it was meant to be seen, and you will discover your place in it.”
Best wishes to all area graduates!
Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Ted Flowers at 724-425-7231 or by email at tflowers@heraldstandard.com. Discount cards are available at the Herald-Standard, 8 E. Church St., Uniontown, and at the Greene County Messenger, 82 W. High St., Waynesburg.