1. CIN: 300.822.735
Fellow graduates, faculty, family and friends, I would first and foremost like to welcome you to
Post-Grad for the Social Work class of 2014 and begin by congratulating all of the graduates in
this room whose hard work and support has led us to this moment. Stepping into the world
outside of CSULA, is going to be like driving on the freeway, at 9:00am- it is going to be
overcrowded, sedate and competitive. But, as the 2014 class of social workers I know that we all
will be able to make it because we have been blessed by the foundation of a BASW degree from
CSULA. I am proud to say that the education from CSULA has given us the tools to succeed in
this crazy world, where our goal is ultimately to inspire those around us and create change for the
better.
The BASW program has fostered our intelligence and both acknowledged and helped us to
discover the world outside of the classroom. The foundation courses in social work have exposed
many of us for the first time to cultures, religions and beliefs of others that have previously been
unknown. As students we were taught to challenge the way things are and to think outside the
box for creative and innovative solutions to a myriad of life problems. We have been taught to
think progressively and problem solve, while in the seminar component to internship
conversations often turned to injustice and the ways in which we as the new era of social workers
could work together to ignite change.
Today, as we prepare to move forward and begin the transition from an undergraduate student to
a professional in field we must acknowledge those who helped to make this dream a reality.
Although we as graduates worked hard for this moment, we didn’t do it alone we had

2. tremendous help from teachers, mentors, friends, parents and family. Thank you all, we needed
you and we would not be here without all of your encouraging words and support.
To our professors turned mentors, thank you for unselfishly sharing your time, knowledge and
talents with us—thank you for going above and beyond in your call to action. Thank you for the
effort you put into the lessons and making your teachings applicable to life. You demanded
excellence from us ad set the bar high with a challenge to live up to our potential.
To our parents and family, thank you for support in more ways than possible to count. Thank you
for your motivation, listening to our complaints. Thank you for coming to all the events that were
important to us and being our personal cheerleaders. Thank you for always being there when we
needed you most but allowing for space so that we may grow into the young women and men
standing before you today.
Truly, thank you to all those who have kept us grounded and motivated throughout the years, I
ask that you continue to provide support as we continue to future endeavors- whether it be
graduate school or the work-force. It is important to maintain these support networks and
continue to grow them as we too continue to grow.
As students of social work we have a responsibility to all levels of society, the micro, mezzo and
macro and we must challenge ourselves to be engaged and aspire for more, never to settle for
less than the best. Life after college will be difficult and it should not be a quiet transition, rather,
our challenge is to take the past 4 or 5 or however many years it took—the connections we have
made with peers and mentors, the enthusiasm, this degree and to do something remarkable and
positive with it.

3. Finally, this is a day which we will treasure forever so let us take a moment to take it all in. Look
around the room and remember the faces you see. After this journey, what are we if not just
family? I will always cherish the memories I have shared with my social work family, the
fundraising, volunteering, lobbying and learning. We have the rest of this afternoon before we go
off and begin again, start over this time to the real world. Wherever our paths take us, or where
we go tomorrow, I want to congratulate you for this tremendous milestone, congratulations to the
social work class of 2014.
As Jerry Zucker said, “It doesn’t matter that your dream came true if you spent your whole life
sleeping. So get out there and go for it, but don’t be caught waiting. It’s great to plan for your
future. Just don’t live there, because really nothing ever happens in the future. Whatever happens
happens now. So live your life where the action is—now.”