2011 Plaza College Commencement Student Address

By Andres LaSalle & Matthew LaSalle

MATT & ANDRES
Good morning

MATT
Board of Trustees,

ANDRES
President Callahan,

MATT
Provost Callahan,

ANDRES
Administration and Faculty,

MATT
Graduates,

ANDRES
and Families.

MATT
This is it!

ANDRES
We’re here---

MATT and ANDRES
Graduation day!

ANDRES
And, boy, we have worked hard to get here! 

Matthew LaSalle (l.) and Andres LaSalle (r.) made history as Plaza College’s first father/son graduation duo. Here, they deliver their unforgettable Graduation speech.

MATT
Yeah I remember us having to stay up night after night trying to get those assignments done. Even you  falling asleep on me sometimes.

ANDRES
Well I remember  … all the diapers I changed, all those times you kept me up crying, that time you got kicked out of your.......

MATT
Ok Dad I think that's enough

ANDRES
But seriously, what a day this is for me. To stand here with my youngest son, graduating together.

MATT
Thanks, Dad

ANDRES
Now I would like for all my fellow graduates to remember your first day at Plaza College. Do you remember that first English class? That's when we learned that new, magical word: “Portfolio.” On that day, we all began an incredible journey together.

MATT
Our journey from start to finish here at Plaza College can be compared to that of Olympic runners. Take a moment with us to think about that.

ANDRES
Olympic runners have a clear goal: to win the gold medal in their event and be the best! 

MATT
They have teammates—fellow runners—who share the same goal and push each other to work harder.

ANDRES
To help them reach their goals, they must also have trainers.

MATT
People who teach runners to fine-tune their technique and pace themselves during the race. However, the very best trainers also motivate their runners, keep them focused on their goals, and pick them up when they fall down.

ANDRES
Above all, these runners follow their routines day in and day out so that when the day of the race finally arrives, they are prepared and fully competent to finish the race.

MATT
And today –my fellow graduates - there is a 200-way tie at the finish line.

ANDRES
Because we have all finished in first place!

MATT
So, how did this happen? Well. Like those runners, we had goals.            

ANDRES
To improve ourselves,

MATT
To get a new job,

ANDRES
To further our careers,

MATT
To prove to ourselves that we can be somebody.

ANDRES
And not just anybody.

MATT and ANDRES
College graduates!

MATT
Maybe our motivation has been our parents—to make them proud.

ANDRES
Perhaps today is for our children—to show them that an education is important and that hard work is what really pays off.

MATT
I always admired my parents’ love of learning. They always wanted me to experience new things and encouraged me to step outside of my comfort zone. My dad really displayed that love of learning when he came to Plaza. What brought my father to Plaza was the loss of his job and the inability to get a new one because he didn’t have a college degree. It may have seemed like a bleak situation to have to go back to school after so many years, but he saw it as an opportunity to learn even more and to finally finish something that he started years ago—getting his degree. He couldn’t have chosen a better place than Plaza College. Plaza allowed my Dad to revitalize his love for learning and he immersed himself in the college experience. He was even able to achieve a perfect GPA in his first semesters. Watching my Dad not only work hard for the family but strive to better himself, was a real motivation for me to do the same.

Andres and Matthew LaSalle brought many family members to the Graduate Awards Ceremony to celebrate their awards.

ANDRES
My wife and I raised our boys to become three respectable men.

And two of them have succeeded, and now I’m happy that Matthew is following in their footsteps.

Before coming to Plaza, Matthew attended a larger college, where he felt lost. He was unsure, and at that point, I suggested that he join me at Plaza College.

And then, in his first semester, he got a perfect GPA. Watching him getting involved in his education gave me the motivation to continue, no matter how many hard times I faced. It gave me the motivation to continue and complete my education.

But Matthew and I did not do this alone.

MATT
No, we didn’t. Like those Olympic runners, we found coaches here at Plaza: our professors and administrators.

ANDRES
They kept us focused and motivated, and pushed us to be better.  They have been friends who genuinely cared about our education and have done everything they could to help us reach our ultimate goal of success outside the classroom.

MATT
I can hear Dr. Anderson from across the hall, “MATT! Where’s your homework? What do you want to do after this? If you want to stack your chips, this is how. You got it? Yeah iight.”

ANDRES
And I hear Mrs. Loffert constantly energized, encouraging her students to work hard and assuring us that things will work out. And Mr. Howle, always looking for new volunteers—even getting some of the shyest people to be involved and become leaders in some of Plaza’s biggest events.

MATT
Our instructors here at Plaza have been true role models, and on behalf of all the graduates here, we want to thank ALL of our teachers and show our appreciation for what you have done for us.

ANDRES
How about a big round of applause for the amazing faculty, staff, and administration of Plaza College!

MATT
We will also never forget about our classmates because like those Olympic runners we are teammates. Over the last couple years, we have formed strong, lasting friendships with each other.

ANDRES
We shared a common goal. We related to each other, we helped each other, and we encouraged each other to keep pushing to the end and not give up. “My fellow graduates, take a look around you. The finish line looks pretty good, doesn’t it?  However, don’t get too comfortable. A new race is about to begin.

MATT
When we first registered here at Plaza, maybe we felt like runners in the 100mdash. A straight line, 2 years to a degree at the finish. But now, we’re prepared not for the 100m Dash, but the 10000m distance run the long haul. And we position ourselves at the starting line, confident in the training we’ve received here at Plaza College, wanting more, more education, higher degrees, better lives, endless success.

ANDRES
On your marks, Class of 2011!

MATT
Get set!

ANDRES
The gun’s gone off!

MATT
We’re on the move!

ANDRES
And there’s no stopping us now!

MATT and ANDRES
Congratulations to the Plaza College class of 2011