2010 Plaza College Graduate Recognition Ceremony
Student Inspirational MessageThursday June 2, 2010
By Margaret Pagan
Good evening Trustees, President Callahan, Provost Callahan, Administrators, Faculty, Fellow Graduates, Families and Friends. Welcome to the Plaza College 2010 Graduate Recognition Ceremony.
My name is Margaret Pagan. My journey at Plaza began over three years ago in February of 2007. I was sitting at a place called the “Work Force” waiting for orientation to begin, when suddenly a woman by the name of Mrs. Roseanne Black walked in and started recruiting people to join Plaza College. She made it sound so interesting that I made an appointment with her the following day. It was the best thing that ever happened to me, besides meeting my soul mate Alfonso.
I came to Plaza College with very little self-esteem because I hadn’t attended school in 29 years. The first Professor I met was Dean Loffert. I will never forget my first semester with Dean Loffert. She taught Interpersonal Communications, a great course to prepare us for the real world. Our first assignment was to come up to the front of the class and introduce ourselves and tell a little about ourselves. I said to myself “OH BOY HERE WE GO”.
But at the end of the day, I felt like I had a whole new circle of friends. My classmates were so nervous yet so eager to tell their stories about why they came to Plaza. Inspirational stories like “I just lost my husband” or “I want a better life for my children” were great reasons to pursue an education. That day, for me, was very emotional. That’s when I knew this is where I belonged.
Dean Loffert made me feel so comfortable that I decided to share my story with her. And the more I told my story the more empowered I became. Now I would like to share my story with all of you.
March of 1993 was without a doubt the worst time of my life; I was diagnosed with HIV and bipolar disorder, due to a brutal rape, and two days later my mother passed away.
I was devastated; it took three years for the doctors to find the right medication. Finally, they got it right, and for the past 14 years my HIV status is undetectable, and my bipolar disorder is under control, thanks to the series of medications I have to endure on a daily basis. That’s when I realized I had a second lease on life, another chance to make a difference in the world. I try to participate in everything; that’s why I joined the Ambassador Club. It is the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I made a decision to share my story with the world, and make a plea to please get tested. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with the virus, I assure you that having HIV is not the end of the world. It’s just another chapter. Life goes on, and we must move on.
When you give to the world the best you have, the best will come back to you! That reminds me of a famous quote by Winston Churchill: “Success is going from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm.” I came across that quote in my last semester, when another curveball was thrown at me: I lost my sight.
I am already blind in my right eye, but then I accidentally scratched the cornea of my left eye. The doctor said my eye would take about eight weeks to heal. I didn’t have 8 weeks. I had Ms. Crimi! I had her four consecutive days a week for Medical Insurance and CPT, two very important courses; if I missed one check list or an online test, I would have to take the courses over, and all I kept thinking about was Ms. Crimi saying “SEE WHAT I’M SAYING,” not that I was hearing voices or anything. But I literally could not see what she was saying. I didn’t know how I was going to pull this one off.
So, I called Mrs. Loffert. We played phone tag that day, but that evening I was listening to my phone messages, and there it was: a singing message from Mrs. Loffert. She sang “YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE MY ONLY SUNSHINE.” I mean – she sang the whole song. The following day, she left another singing message singing, “YES YOU WILL GRADUATE YES YOU WILL GRADUATE CAUSE HERE AT PLAZA WE AIM TO PLEASE.” This time she made up her own words. I mean who does that? Mrs. Loffert. That’s who!
And on that “note,” I got my sight back in three weeks. I caught up with all my classes, and here I stand, getting ready to graduate. That just goes to show you, if you want something badly enough, you can achieve your goals. There isn’t anything you can’t do.
I was honored to have been chosen to be an inspirational speaker of this rewarding event. Graduate Recognition Ceremony is a ceremony celebrating all our accomplishments, dedication and hard work. It is a celebration of our endeavors to reach our goals and aspirations. So let’s take that first step: S.T.E.P., meaning Self Taught Empowerment and Pride. Let’s take that step and run with it, and in our journeys, may we all reach our destination.
Now let’s go out there and represent PLAZA COLLEGE.
Congratulations to the class of 2010!! WE DID IT!!! Thank you PLAZA!!