i want the nation to learn from worcester tech.[applause] of course your journey is just beginning. take a look around at all the smiles from the parents and the grandparents and all the family members. everything your families have done has been so that you could pursue your dreams, so that you could fulfill your potential. everybody here has a story of some sacrifice that has been made on your behalf. and whether you're heading to college or the military or starting your career, you're not going to be able to take them with you now. some of your moms and dads probably wish they could hang on to you a little bit longer. some of you may be, are ready to get rid of you. regardless though, you are now entering into a stage where it's up to you and what you can do is remember some of the lessons that you've learned here and carry them with you, wherever you're going. and i want to talk about three of those lessons. a couple of which have already been mentioned by the previous speakers. first of all i want you to remember that each of

i just did a commencement at worcester tech in -- right outside of boston and the principal there is amazing. young woman. she was voted national principal of the year, but they have boosted their math scores by 100%, their reading scores by 200% and they have in house in the university by partnering with businesses, they've got a veterinary clinic, they have a car detailing shop, they've got a computer design program and so kids actually participate and are running businesses even as they are learning, and that kind of hands-on approach oftentimes is going to be a lot more effective and a lot more relevant to these young people. a whole bunch of them are going to go on to community colleges, some of them are going to go to four-year universities, some of them may work for a while, for five years, and then be once they have a better sense of the skills they need in the occupation that they're interested in, they'll go back to school. but giving kids a bunch of different pathways to suit their interests, i think you're going to end up producing better outcomes. one last point as far a