across the globe that we have the freedom to fight on the battleground of ideas in places like the university of north texas. [applause] and we never say thank you enough to the men and women who provided that freedom to us. and i want to take just one moment and ask anybody in this arena tonight who has ever worn the uniform of the united states military to please stand or wave your hands so we can say thank you for your service. [applause]

well, to the class of 2015 congratulations on reaching this remarkable milestone in your lives. your hard work, your dedication, your drive brought you to this moment. you know, i think very fittingly, moments ago, you applauded your family and friends who helped bring you to this day. i want you to think about this. there's one thing we know for sure. and that is that these family members of yours are extremely proud tonight. you cannot imagine the sense of joy they feel right now. so tonight would be a great time to ask for money. [laughter] [applause]

now, in addition to the pride that you surely are feeling tonight, some of you may also feel a sense of sadness, a sense of sorrow, thinking that your days at unt are behind you and that your unt days are gone forever. well, let me assure you that you never really leave because i can guarantee you that the unt fundraising committee will be on your back until the day you die. [laughter] [applause] i'm going to keep my remarks short tonight because i learned the hard way about going on too long. before i was governor and attorney general, i was a judge, and one time i was speaking as a judge to a large room of people, and i was the next speaker, and i came up in the back of the room and pulled up alongside a

lawyer and asked him how things were going. he said, things are going pretty good so far, but our next figure is one of those long-winded judges and you know how that goes. [laughter] i said, well, do you have any idea who i am? he said, no, i have no idea. i said, well, i'm judge greg abbott. and i'm the next speaker. you could tell he was embarrassed, but he was a quick-witted lawyer. he looked back at me and said, well, do you know who i am? i said, no, i have no idea. he said, great. i'm out of here. [laughter] i know you want to be out of here and go start partying. so let me say just a few words. and i'll start out with some candor. my last graduation was when i graduated from law school. i don't have a clue who spoke at

my graduation ceremony. i seem to recall some cliche advice about how the future was going to be filled with challenges. little did i know how prophetic that speaker was, because little did i know that as i walked across the stage that day to get my diploma, that picture would literally be the last picture of me walking. after graduating, i moved to houston, texas, where i took a job. and after a few weeks of living there, one day i went out for a jog, and while i was out jogging, a huge tree crashed down onto my back. fracturing my vertebrae in my spinal cord, leaving me forever paralyzed and unable to ever

walk again. i see some of you shaking your heads. you're wondering, how slow is that guy jogging to get hit by a falling tree? [laughter] well, during months of rehabilitation, i realized that the future i had meticulously planned during college and law school, all the dreams i had aspired to and worked for and took for granted, were gone in an instant. everything had changed. but i found after that in going on and piecing my life back together and becoming a lawyer and becoming a judge and attorney general and now a governor, i realize our lives don't have to be defined by our circumstances. [applause]

instead, we can define our lives by the character that we have. i learned that deep within each of us lies the character that allows us to conquer our circumstances. you know, i have never talked to any graduate from any program anywhere who had not faced challenges on the pathway to getting their diploma. i know that each of you have been challenged in different ways yourselves. all of you have demonstrated the character to meet those challenges. your presence here tonight those green caps and gowns you're wearing right now, the diploma you're receiving, show you have mastered your challenges.

well, tonight, when you leave this wonderful school and go into the world to pursue your dreams, your lives are going to be filled with a lot of exciting twists and turns. you will have many more achievements in your lives. and yes, inevitably, you will face some challenges in your lives. but those challenges don't determine your destiny. you do. your lives aren't defined by how you're challenged but how you respond to the challenges you face. [applause] so wherever your paths may lead, whatever you may do after

leaving here, you know what? in the end, it really doesn't matter. whether or not you turn out rich or poor. it doesn't matter what you do for a living or where you live. in fact, it doesn't even matter whether or not you will be able to walk. what does matter is the unique fingerprint that you leave on this world. now, quite literally, your fingerprint is on every single thing you touch. you may be holding something in your hand right now that has the imprint of your fingerprint on it, but i'm talking more figuratively, about the figurative fingerprints you leave behind, whether they be on the person sitting next to you your classmates, your friends, your family, or it could be a passing acquaintance.

every single person you come into contact with has your fingerprints on them. and ultimately, your life will be measured by those fingerprints you leave behind. so as you leave the university of north texas, we look forward to watching the path you take and the unique fingerprint you leave on this world. so congratulations to the class of 2015. may god bless you all with bright futures. may god bless the university of north texas and this great state. thank you so much. [applause]

>> on this weekend's newsmakers, our guess is republican congressman jason chaffetz. he talks about the committee's role and agenda. you can watch it 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. eastern here on c-span. >> like many of us, first families take vacation time. like presidents and first ladies, a good read can be the perfect companion for your summer journey. what better book than one that appears inside the personal life of every first ladies? inspiring stories of fascinating women who survived the scrutiny

of the white house. a great summertime read available from public affairs as a hardcover or >>, hillary clinton launches her presidential campaign at a rally in new york city. then a conversation with chris christie. senior staffers with the hillary clinton campaign talk about their operation and the 2016 presidential race. democratic presidential candidate hillary clinton officially launched percodan with -- launched her campaign with a rally in new york city. with her was her husband, former president bill clinton and their daughter chelsea. the event was held at the roosevelt island in new york's