Commencement Address
Helen Aguirre Ferré
May 17, 2008

Father Jonathan, distinguished members of the Board of Trustees, distinguished faculty, parents, friends and especially, members of the Saint Anselm graduating class of 2008.  It is a great honor to be invited to speak to you.  Today marks and end of a journey; it also signals the promise of a new beginning.  I think you will find that life complements itself in two’s, but more about that later.

My first visit to Saint Anselm came with an invitation to speak at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics where I spoke about immigration reform.  Although a controversial subject, I found in Saint Anselm College and The New Hampshire Institute of Politics fertile ground for thoughtful discussion on many issues of critical concern.  Equally important, Saint Anselm encourages academic debate in a framework of respect and decorum despite differences of opinion.

There was a time when this was more common than not.  Today, however, our culture has become coarse and vulgar.  We often forget the importance of common courtesy, respect and thoughtful conversation.  We are good at speaking, turning cute phrases especially in the world of punditry, but I fear that we are losing the skill and sensitivity to listen.

Journalist and author Thomas Friedman once expressed that being a good listener is a talent a person or a country can have and often is unappreciated.  That is both sad and true.  In my profession, I find that most people long to be heard but too often we are not listening.  Many journalists will tell you that we miss the best stories because we were paying attention.  If we had been listening we would have got it.  The smartest people I have ever met are excellent listeners.  They never miss a beat and are usually ahead of the curve.

Meeting people is one of the things I love about journalism.  I truly enjoy exploring new things and talking to people from all walks of life.  If I were not passionate about my work, I don’t think I could juggle the different schedules between print and broadcasting.  But because journalism is one of my magnificent obsessions, my family is my first, it does not feel like a job.  It has been my experience that most people who are successful and happy are passionate about what they do.  So find your passion and work at it.  A job that pays well is great but working in something you love to do is terrific.

What you choose to do with your life today has very different implications from prior generations.  Our global economy has created new challenges we have not previously experienced.  Just a generation ago, it was expected that a college graduate would work in more than one company but not more than three.  Today, a college graduate is expected to change not only companies, but also change careers as well.  What a different world!  It is all a part of the changing international economic landscape we seemingly cannot escape.

Although this may seem daunting, it is also a great opportunity for those who can see themselves doing a number of things with their lives. I wonder if those of you who had trouble choosing a major will benefit greatly from this fluctuation.   It will be more important than ever to continue learning.  There are different ways to learn. Reading is one of the most obvious.  It will not only keep you current you will stay well connected to your local community and to the world.  These last four years you have been challenged to analyze not only the work of some of the most outstanding men and women of our civilization but their values as well so that you can make your own, well informed decisions.  Perhaps that is one reason why the Princeton Review referred to Saint Anselm one of our “Colleges with a Conscience.”

Elie Wiesel once asked, “How is it that all racists are stupid?”  I would suggest it is because of ignorance.  Cynical people think they have all the answers but in fact they have very narrow points of view.  As Opinion Page Editor of Diario Las Americas, a conservative Spanish language newspaper, I have made an effort to open up our pages to explore the opinions of those who do not agree with our editorial line.  For example, Diario Las Americas editorially opposes the lifting of the Cuban economic embargo until the government frees all political prisoners and guarantees the dictates of international human rights.  Diario Las Americas made it a point to seek the respectful opinions of those who believe that lifting the embargo would best achieve the same results. This is a painful chapter in the Cuban exile experience and many of our readers initially did not like the change. Yet we chose to respectfully engage in the conversation rather than be left out of it. It was the right decision. Adversity is as much a component of life as joy and sadness.  It is how we face adversity that makes all the difference.

Take for example the case of Jon Goicoechea of Venezuela.  Jon is a 23-year-old law student in Venezuela and a student leader who successfully led tens of thousands in his country in peaceful, student protests against the tyranny of Hugo Chavez, who tried to change the country’s constitution whereby he would have amassed an unprecedented amount of political, military and economic power indefinitely.  Jon Goicoechea saw many of his colleagues beaten and imprisoned.  He himself was beaten and has had both his and his families’ lives threatened, yet he persevered.  Jon was just awarded the 2008 Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty by the Cato Institute.

Then there is the case of Cuban journalist Yoani Sanchez.  Yoani is a 32 year old blogger who lives in Havana.  Her blog is called Generación Y which reflects the trend to give children non-traditional names that usually begin with the letter y, which is reflective of the Soviet influence in the island during the Cold War.  Anyway, despite the fact that Raul Castro has recently allowed the sale of cell phones and computers, agents of Cuban government disguised as tourists ransacked Internet cafes  and closed down her blog.  Humorous and direct in pointing out Castro’s meaningless reforms, she was awarded the prestigious journalistic award Ortega y Gasset from one of Spain’s leading newspapers, El País.  Although denied an exit visa to receive her award Yoani was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the most influential people in the world.

I cannot say if the difficult circumstances Jon and Yoani faced made them the exemplary people they are today but I do know that they had choices.  Ultimately, they chose the path least followed.

In closing, I would like to cite Native American writer and historian Joseph M. Marshall III, who writes in “Keep Going” that we face choices all the time.  “You did not ask to be born, but you are here.  You have weaknesses and strengths.  You have both because in life there is two of everything. Within you is the will to win, as well as the willingness to lose. Within you is the heart to feel compassion, as well as the smallness to be arrogant.   Within you is the way to face life, as well as the fear to turn away from it.”

I trust that you will never turn away from life, but always look toward the truth understanding that truth will always set you free.  So go today and celebrate with your family and friends.  Sow your seeds carefully.  And when we run into each other again, I know we will, remind me before I interview you that we share a special bond.  Let me know that I was at your graduation and that Saint Anselm will always be our special bond.
Congratulations to you all!