the company or the reception as for the company. your duty is the same. work hard and do the very best you can do in that first job. if you do that, people will recognize your efforts and reward your efforts, and new opportunities will come. i can tell you that most of your opportunities will come because of your character and your ability to get things done. character does count. results and values do matter. again, let me give you the words of thomas jefferson, talking about character. he said got has formed us that we may promote the happenings of those with whom he has placed us in society, by acting honestly toward all, but heavily toward those who fall within our way. during my couple of decades of public service, i believe that the world was hungry, even

desperate, for people, for leaders of character with the hearts of service to others. so go and be those leaders. the scriptures also tell you that too much has been given, much will be expected. you have been given much here at christopher newport university. you have learned from and then mentored by some of the greatest faculty in all the commonwealth. so now, much as expected. you have been trained for excellence. so do not deliver mediocrity. don't make excuses, make things happen. now as i close, i have one last request as governor of virginia. i know you will have many opportunities. maybe some around the country, and around the world. but i want to humbly ask you this. no matter where you came from, today you are here in virginia.

so if you are going to create something big, create it in virginia. if you are going to open a business, open it in virginia. if you are going to be a great artist or doctor or teachers or professors or lawyer or counselor, or whatever it may be, do it in virginia. we want to keep your talents and your dreams in virginia. we want you to pay taxes in virginia. so thank you for your hard work these last four years or five years or six years. you have gotten to this day with love and support of your families, your parents, members of the boredom the president, faculty. many have loved and nurtured do to get you to this day. so i say to you, though be great, go make a difference. god bless you. [applause]

what's more from this year's graduates at the school of communication at american university in washington. tell us your name in your hometown. >> i am from memphis, tennessee. >> what did you think of today's commencement speakers? >> i it really enjoyed them. i enjoyed the speech about empathy. it really spoke to the values of the school of communication. it's 02 applying the tools we have learned in a socially conscious way, and i really appreciated that -- it spoke to applying the tools we have learned. >> what is your degree in? >> my degree is in foreign language in communications media. >> what would you do that now that you graduated? >> it is funny you should ask.

i have a dance minor and i am planning to pursue danced professionally in the d.c. area. i am also interested in doing arts administration, public relations and marketing for dance companies. >> do you have stood alone to are responsible for? >> i actually have no student loans. i am very lucky that my parents have supported me so heavily. i am going out in the world a free woman. >> i am from new hampshire. >> what did you think of today's commencement speakers? >> i thought it was amazing. i am going to be interning for the associated press this summer. i thought the speech was very inspirational. it moved me to tears. >> what did you study? >> i studied broadcast journalism. >> what we like to do long-term matured degree? >> i am hoping to go into the

field of journalism. i am interested in going to morocco can covering how the arab spring has played out there. >> of next, the commencement ceremony at st. mary's college of maryland. baltimore mayor stephanie rawlings-blake addressed the class of 2012 in mid-may. she was the youngest person ever elected to the baltimore city council. here is her speech on the campus town house green. it is about 15 minutes. [applause] >> good morning. i can say i have never seen a group of people more excited about a green door. thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you on

this absolutely beautiful day. i was promised by president there would be a few people from baltimore. are there any people from baltimore? thank you very much. now my nerves are gone, i know there are some hometown folks in the crowd. today is a culmination not just of the last four years, but of a lifetime of hard work for the students who are here today. i promised the students a commencement address of no less than nine minutes. and i intend to keep my word, so get comfortable. to the graduates, i want to congratulate you on completing your undergraduate education. each and everyone of you are about to join a very distinguished fraternity. my dear friends and colleagues -- my dear friend and colleague, councilman brandman

scott, a 2006 graduate of st. mary's, often reminds me that a degree from st. mary's is not your average degree. a degree from st. mary's is a degree from maryland's public honors college that comes with the increased level of responsibility of caring for the tradition of excellence of those who have come to 42, and carry that degree into the real world. 50 days ago i had the pleasure of meeting in speaking with many of you and your 50-day celebration. during my visit i also had the pleasure of having dinner with her class president and student trustee. i must say that if they embody the spirit of the entire class, then our future is in great hands. as i made my trip back from baltimore that evening, it was clear to me that you all or an extremely well prepared to move on to the next chapter in your

lives, whether it be the real world or furthering your education. i was also very impressed with your collective awareness of the global situation as of today. i was told then and i completely understand now that is all part of what is called the st. mary's way. caring for the environment is just as important a part of st. mary's culture as the day your shoes made it into the shoetree. being socially conscious is no less a part of the culture than midnight breakfast. it is also complete education that will insure you are well prepared for the challenges of the world that await you. make no mistake, the world that you are about to enter is totally different than the world that i entered after graduating from oberlin college creek our country, state, and city are still struggling with the effects of the great recession. families throughout our great state have to tighten their belts as they struggle with increased costs and decreased

income. individuals are struggling to find and keep work. however, despite these challenges, or spirit remains strong. as mayor of baltimore, i see firsthand the result of an entire city, even while the economy endures a great recession that damaged our economy, baltimore has held its own. our public schools test scores and graduates are rising, while dropout rates are falling. on our streets, crime has dropped to levels not seen since the 1970's. our neighborhoods are becoming magnets for new investment. now, as the country pulls itself out of the recession, we can see and feel that baltimore's best days are ahead of us. i would love for you to be a part of that future, too. i am humbled to serve as the mayor of baltimore. it is my home. baltimore is in me and with me wherever i go. in my lifetime, our city has gone through some tremendous changes.

people and businesses have left. entire industries disappear. our schools fell into disrepair. drug addiction ravaged once proud neighborhoods. despite this, we held on to and bill on to some of our strengths. but our inner harbor is home to the great attractions and the anger of our tourism industry. -- anchor of our tourism industry. our port is growing and has outpaced its piers along the east coast. our hospitals are people from all over maryland and all over the globe. without these pillars of growth, baltimore might have lost more population. as important as these physical killers are, there is another pillar that kept people from leaving, and that is love. " baltimore is the kind of city that it elicits a special kind of devotion every neighborhood is unique.

the people who stayed for all these years always believed that baltimore's best days are yet to come. there is no quit in them. their love for baltimore compels them to safeguard and uphold what is good and to stand firm in the face of their neighborhoods challenges. none of us are willing to give up on our great city, and as mayor, i owe it to the people of baltimore to focus on improving in key areas. better schools, safer streets, and stronger neighborhoods. this commitment to the fundamentals of how we are going to hold onto our residents and grow our city by 10,000 families in the next 10 years. i plan to grow baltimore -- our plan is as much about attracting people like you has it sounds like a commercial, as to holding on to the families that are there. just last year, baltimore was ranked as the no. 1 city for new college grads. just this week, baltimore is

ranked the ninth best city to find a job. does that appeal to any of you? in the 1990's, as the national economy grew, young people started making investments in baltimore communities. in federal hill, canton, locust point, and patterson park, rooftop deck for popping up all over the place. the neighborhoods were close to centers of business as well as great night life. but we had a problem. we could not keep them. unlike people in other parts of that city who were sticking with baltimore the court then, these young people got married, had kids, and moved away. they went to neighboring in jurisdictions, not for the lower cost of living, they left because of crime and poor schools pushed them away. the city has become focused on -- had become focused on promising everything and making financial promises that it could not keep.

it could not do the most important things well. while real-estate boom helped generate historic revenues for the city, it only mask the serious problems. in 2012, there are signs that baltimore is headed in the right direction. our investment will build on this progress by making baltimore better, safer, and stronger. we can make the argument with young people and convinced them to come to baltimore and to stay. we can help people like you see that baltimore's best days are ahead, and you can be a part of our pillars of growth. when he committed an educated young people in baltimore right now. your experience has given you the confidence to make decisions like that. st. mary's has given you the skills to adapt to whatever the changing economy, and the tools to reinvent yourself and to lead in the 21st century, and stay on the cutting edge. i know this day is probably

daunting for many of you. but i have to say that there is no reason to be overwhelmed. abraham lincoln once said that the best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. with each new day comes a new challenge to overcome and a new opportunity to embrace and drive forward, a new future to shake and to make your own. as i look at these proud graduates today, i see leaders who will be wheeler predict who will be willing to make these bold decisions, leaders afraid to ask what is next. leaders with the courage to constantly adapt and change themselves for the better. leaders ready to meet tough challenges and seize new opportunities. baltimore and the world need the new generation of leaders like you. in fact, we are banking on it. st. mary's gave us baltimore's youngest current councilman, brandon's got. i have no doubt that you can