i'm a teach, lawyer, whatever it is. and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.e, lawyer, what it is. and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.r, lawyer, what it is. and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. a meaningful fulfilling career that can be the cornerstone of a happy life. but i also want to stress that your job title and responsibilities, those things are merely what you do and they will always be. they are not who you are. so as you all are thinking about your career, i want you to think about what's important to you. how does your job fit in to a full life, a complete life? how are you going to give back? are youing for to be an engineer or are you going to be an engineer who volunteers in a sigh echcience class at a local twice a week? are you going on go into business or are you going to be the ceo who sponsors community theater productions and those a k run and the local will little

league team? are you the nurse who serves in the national guard every other weekend and writes the weekly bulletin for church? are you going to be the award winning journalist who raises a beautiful people who serves on the pta who drives the car pool, who was in every single way voted in every election, every year, every single year? it is critical that you start thinking about these things now and keep coming back to them. because i'm going to warn you, those daily to-do lists that will creep up on you, hose deth deadliness at work, the pressure to keep climbing and acquiring, all of that adds up. it forms a powerful current. and if you're not focused on who you want to be and how you want to live your life, trust me, it will sweep you away. so you have got to keep your

bearings. you have to figure out what matters to you and stay true to those values. you have to keep your eyes open as you make your way in the world. and that leads me to my second question.as you make your way i world. and that leads me to my second question. i want you to ask yourselves what's going on in the world around me? it's true that the world is different today than it was for the greens borrow four and others before them. you don't see whites only water found tips. y fount tans. you may not here the words of hatred and discrimination every day. those are signs of how much progress that we've made. but we all know that there are still plenty of serious injustices crying out for our attention.

we know this. yes, we outallowed segregation in our public schools nearly 60 years ago, but we know that every child is not getting the same quality of education today. that, we know. yes, women gained the right to vote nearly a secentury ago and women make up nearly half of our workforce, yet they still earn only 77 creents for every dollaa man earns and for african-american women, it's just 64 cents. yeah, we passed a federal hate crimes law, but we all know this that prejudice of all kinds exists for all kinds of people. too often that still remains. so take a look around. and i guarantee you that you will see that there is plenty of work left to be done. maybe it's the school on the other side of town with crumbling classrooms and a couple of old computers and

teachers who are as outnumbered as they are overworked. or maybe it's the cash strapped homeless shelter that keeps dozens of people warm every night, but their grant money ran out. maybe it's the city hall in dire immediate of fresh ideas. maybe it's a river lined with trash.of fresh ideas. maybe it's a river lined with trash. there are wrongs just waiting to be made right. but again, i warn you, those wrongs won't go away. and they will entrench themselves deeper and deeper unless we act. and that leads me to the third and final question. we need you to ask yourselves how can i help? it's a simple question. how can i help? and the answers are often obvious. that failing school. volunteer there before work.

donate your old laptop. organize a group to paint a mural on the playground. the homeless shelter, start a fund raising drive. that filthy river bed, put on some gloves and pick up a bucket. those nationwide in-equals, the stagnant city hall, immerse yourselves in information. become familiar with your elected representatives. vote not just once in a while, but every year in every election. and even better, run for a seat at the table yourself. i mean, the fact is we simply cannot move forward unless all of us are engaged. and being engaged means not simply recognizing what's wrong, not simply complaining about and talking about our problems, but acting. it means waking up and changing the situation. and that's a lesson that so many

of you have already begun to learn during your time here at a. a.n.t. this year alone, students have volunteered nearly 35,000 hours of service. you have mentored your peers and helped young people, students, transition to college. you have marched and walked for causes you believe in. you've cleaned up streets. you've served at the ymca, habitat for humanities, and so many other organizations. and some of you have committed yourselves to serving our country, including a 11 of you who will be commissioned as officers in the army and the air force later this afternoon. and with that kind of action and that kind of commitment, all of you have begun to carry on that proud legacy of the greensboro four. and today i'm reminded of a quote from one of those young men. years after he'd made history at

that lunch counter, franklin mccain said these words. he said this is my country. i fought for the chance to make it right. no one's going to deny me the opportunity. i'm going to be a full participant in every aspect of this community as well as my kids. that's what they were fighting for. that's why they sat down on those stools so that they could be full participants in their communities and that so could you. they were biting so that all of you and me could have opportunities they couldn't even imagine. and look around. just look around. that's exactly what we've got. we're not weighed down by the kind of baggage that folks had back then. we do live in a country that's more supportive. more open, more inclusive than

ever before. we've got rights and freedoms and poeblgssibilities that they would have given anything on have for themselves. but with all those advantages comes a set of responsibilities. we have a responsibility to protect the ground that's already been won because it can just as easily be lost. it can be gone. we've got a responsibility to live up to the legacy of those who came before us by doing all that we can to help those who come after us. that's how we've always made progress. each generation doing its part to lift up the next. each generation does its part to perfect our union. each generation looks at the world around them and decides that it's time to wake up and change the situation. and we've always looked to our young people to lead the way, we

always have. so graduates, now it's your turn. it's time for you to take that baton, take it, it's time for you to carry the banner forward. it's time for you to wake the rest of us up and show us everything you've got. that's what aggies like you have always done. and that is your history. and that is your legacy. that is who you are. never forget that. and let me tell you something. that is why me and my husband and the folks all across this country, man, we are so proud of you all. we are so proud. and because of you, we are so hopeful about our future. yes, we are. know that. so graduates, i love you all.

i can not wait to see that all you will achieve and all that you will could be tribute e con the years before. god bless you all and good luck. you're a member of the education committee and the most recent college graduate in the u.s. house. tell us about that. >> yeah, i am. over 20 years ago, i had to quit my schooling because my dad was killed in an accident on our farm. and so i took over the family business. and needed to be there. but just recently the last couple of year, i've been taking classes again and finally finished up and just completed my political science degree at south dakota state university. >> and you attend the commencement will this year and you also spoke at that commencement. tell us about that experience.

>> it was such a neat experience. they also allowed me to be the graduating senior speaker. so i he had the opportunity to talk to a lot of students about life that's not necessarily going to always publbe lollipopd bubble gum, there are challenges, but there are also opportunities. there's not very many people who looked back and wished that they hadn't done something, either's more often that they've seen opportunities that they missed. >> how did you prepare to give the speech? >> i wanted to relate to the younger students. a lot are younger than me and i didn't want them to feel as though i didn't have something to offer to them. so i talked a lot about my fath story, but a lot about their plans. when my dad passed away, my entire life changed. theirs may, as well. but to embrace it and know at the end of the day, they should follow their passions. >> her first term representing south came company tadakota in .

thanks very much. >> thank you for having me and congratulations to all the graduates. david petraeus delivered the commencement address at dickinson college where his wife holly graduated as well as his daughter, ann. the retired general mentioned that he had been scheduled to deliver last year's address but had to cancel. his speech is about 25 minutes.

thanks for the warm welcome. parents, family member, friends and especially graduates, it is needless to say just plain terrific to be with you all today and to share this wonderful occasion with you. especially as you've heard given how much dickinson means to my family with my wife and daughter both the being al wlum my of the classes of '74 and 2004 respectively. i must note up front, it was great to see the toga adaptation of the medieval academic robe. in pact quite innovative. speaking of initiative, qualities by the way we prize at the cia. b but -- we are hiring. there's been 150 applicants for every slot, though, so you never know. it did remind me, though, of a story of a young school boy who had to give a report on julius caesar. julius caesar was born and

raised a little time ago the little boy told his classmates. he was a great general. he won some important battles. he gave a long speech. they killed him. i will try to avoid his fate today. now as the president noted, it is also great to be here today because i was unable to honor my commitment to speak at last year's graduation ceremony. in fact shortly after i'd actually accepted the invitation in june 2010 to be the commencement speaker in 2011, i went to a monthly meeting, routine meeting at the white house, and came out with a new job when president obama on short notice asked me to take the reins in afghanistan. and as the president noted, i still had some hope of honoring the commitment, but as the winter turned into the spring, it was very clear that the tempo there would not allow travel

state side for the occasion. so it really is great to finally be here with you. up front i'd like to thank you, president, for graciously reextending the invitation to me and far more importantly for the extraordinary impact you have had on this great institution and its students since you became president in 1999. under your leadership, dickinson -- highest approval r50 ratings of any president in the united states, we think. under your leadership, dickinson's academic swlens has truly thrived. and its commitment to global education and community service has grown. you have reinvigorated benjamin russia's revolutionary goal for dickinson to provide useful knowledge for building a democracy. and you have made that goal a driver of global engagement and

active citizenship for dickinson graduates in the 21st century. so again, han thank you for you vision, your leadership, your energy, your infectious enthusiasm and your obvious love of this exceptional institution. well done. now, mr. president, i have learned that you are planning to retire next year. i do intelligence. and such knowledge is clearly another intelligence success. in any event, i'm living proof that one can find meaningful work after retirement. as you have heard after 37 years in the army, i retired and had the privilege of taking a wonderful entry level job at the central intelligence agency. it is the most intellectually stimulating job in the world. but in any event, i know that i speak for all of your admirers

here in wishing you and your wife continued success take elect all stimulation and fulfillment in your future pursuits whatever they may be.et all stimulation and fulfillment in your future pursuits whatever they may be. whatever organization ends up with you will be a very fortunate and lucky organization indeed. thank you for your leadership and your very kind words of introduction. when you hear one of those kinds of introductions, i have to confess, i wish my parents could have been here to hear those very kind words. my crusty sea captain appear would have been a bit skeptical, but would have enjoyed it nonetheless. and my dear old mother would have believed every kind word of it. in truth, you have influenced the lives of innumerable students, as well. here at dickinson college, but also at the u.s. army work college nearby. in fact when the word got around

that i was going to address this graduation ceremony, i heard from a number of dickinson alumni at the agency who told me what a difference the school's focus here on international studies made in their lives and several singled out your influence in their decision to focus on world affairs and government service. so on behalf of some of your former students who cannot be here or in some cases cannot be named, thank you very much for all that you have done to in-entire and on kindle an intellectual spark to study international and security affairs. well done to you. i know some of you are waiting for me on confirm or deny the report in the d book that the old potato chip factory now an an legs of south college was ever used by the cia. i can pot do either.

i can neither confirm nor deny. i can report having heard, however, that once the building was reclaimed by dickinson, certain clandestine operations on campus such as kidnapping the mermaid on top of old west fell off markedly. but i'll allow you to draw your own conclusions from that. it is also a privilege to be here today in the company of a very distinguished group of honorary degree recipients. johned a cam aed aed aed adan when we need a great lawyer and npr's distinguished honor who has won it all. each of them represents and reflects dickinson's strong commitment to academic leadership and public service. as well as commendable spirit of

intellectual curiosity that extends beyond the classroom and into a life time. please join me in recognizing them again, as well. again as well. [ applause ] now i would be remiss if i did not also add my recognition to recognize the proud patients and devoted friends and families and significant others of the students who are here today. i understand what the parents are feeling right now because as you heard holly and i sat here where you are now. we watched our daughter, anne, graduate from dickinson a moment filled with immense pride, buttal tinged with a bit of sadness as we reflected on how quickly our little girl had grown up. i'm sure some in the audience are experiencing similar sentiments today. i am moreover also familiar with

the hope that parents here may have that withdrawals from the national bank of mom and dad may soon come to an end. i hate to break the news to you, based personal experience, the atm doesn't close just because the tuition checks have stopped. regardless in view of the wonderful support of the parents and families here have provided to those who will receive their diplomas here today, let's give all of them another well deserved round of applause as well. [ applause ] >> being here among so many who are about to embark on their careers reminds me of a story i heard recently in washington. as it goes a mid level executive was frustrated after being passed over for a promotion year after year. he began to suspect that his admittedly modest intellect was holding him back. he decided to visit a brain

transplant center with the hope of raising his i.q. after a battery of physical and mental tests he was accepted by the director of the center as a candidate for a brain transplant. that's great he exclaimed shaking the director's hand vigorously. but you should know that i'm a working man and i understand that this preemg can be very expensive. it can be expensive, but the price is a function of which type of brain you suspect. an ounce of lawyer's brains cost roughly $12,000. gosh, the man replied that's not much and with a lawyer's brain i could maximize by powers and build the government by the hour. penetrating the legal jargon of federal contracts as if by dprks ray vision i'd be a bureaucratic ninja slicing and dicing my way through torts and courts. wait, are there other options? well the director said flipping through the pages in his inventory notebook here is an excellent choice.

dickinson college graduate brains. they run about $17,000 an ounce. dickinson college graduate brains the executive replied in awe. i'd stop pushing paper and start taking lectures. i'd solve complex global problems, speak a dozen languages, use my critical thinking skills to find ways to balance the budget and cure menacing diseases worldwide and take a break from my morning cup of coffee and think some more. absolutely, the director responded with enthusiasm, but here is one more match for you to consider. generals brains. they're priced as $100,000 per ounce and we just happen to have some in stock. wow, the executive said. there's no limit to what i could do with generals brains. i could combine the audacity of george s. patton and george

washington commanding the heights of the general service pay scale. but he asked why on earth do you charge $100,000 for an ounce of generals brains when the others are priced so much more reasonably? well, the director responded, do you have any idea how many generals it takes to get an ounce of brains? [ applause ] now you notice i didn't say anything about retired generals brains. thanks for laughing anyway. you know the deal, when you reach this stage of life you're only as good as the material they give you. hopefully, those about to receive their diplomas today can venture forth with confidence that they will not need to visit a brain transplant center. in fact, class of 2012 when you walk down the old west steps and out into the world, the

education you received here in the dickinson values of global engagement and active citizenship will serve you very, very well indeed. the be sure ours is a time with no shortage of pressing issues and our country and our world need thoughtful, dedicated, talented people like you to help find and implement new solutions to stubborn problems. and as a result we need many of you to choose careers in public service and in other arenas in which you can help make a real difference in the life of our country and in the life of your countries in the case of those from abroad. you might suspect that someone who spent his entire adult life in uniform until eight months ago would think of public service largely in terms of military service. even on the battlefields of the past decade in iraq and afghanistan, i have seen that progress can only be achieved by committed, selfless individuals working across a wide range of

disciplines. through a comprehensive, often civil military approach. indeed there are few challenges that can be resolved with only a single approach no matter with endeavor. solutions require the efforts of many and it is thus the character, the spirit and the call of service that counts. as many old boss former secretary of defense and former cia director bob gates once observed and i quote, each person in public service has his or her own story and motives. but i believe if you scratch deeply enough you will find that those who serve no matter how outwardly tough or jaded or egg tisical are row mantings and idealists and optimists. we believe we can make a difference. that we can improve the lives of others, that we can better the future of this country and the world. i agree wholeheartedly with

secretary gates' sentiment. and never forget service can take many, many forms as i'm sure you've learned from your time at dickinson and in reflecting on benjamin rush's and john dickinson's views of engaged and educated citizens furthering american patriotism and liberty. and dickinson's public service fellowship program and its participation in the education and enhancement program among many other initiatives here have put those values into action. in fact, i'd like to take a moment to point out again, the selfless service of one dickinson graduate in particular, my wife, holly, who has you heard graduated from here with honors in both her majors french and english and who then followed her husband through 24 moves in 37 years with overseas absences during five general officer combat commands all of this with

considerable challenge. and during which she applied the strengths and skills she gained here at dickinson generally to hold everything together for our family as one move led to another. the small army post where i was stationed in those early years did not lend themes to the kind of career frankly for which she had prepared. though she did pursue a career in civil service in much of our first eight years of marriage. she worked at home after our children were born and took on a number of volunteer posts and ultimately was the first lady of two army installations. one of which we deployed from in the beginning of the effort in iraq in 2003. in the past eight years, however, with our children grown she has drawn on her great dickinson education and her deep understanding of the challenges facing military families to become their advocate. first as you heard at the better business bureau and now as

director of the office of service member affairs and assistant director of the consumer financial protection bureau. service both to family and to country has defined her life and i count my blessings frequently to have accepted a blind date with her some 38 years or so ago. [ applause ] it's no surprise to me as i mentioned previously and a number of cia officers are dickinson alums. many learn their passion for international service right here. john dickinson's description of the college that bore his name as a bull wart of liberty is much like the cia's conception of itself as the nation's first line of defense. moreover, the agency's core values of service, integrity and excellence mirror dickinson college values. so whether you follow in the