"Remember Midland College, and all of the opportunities it gave you"

By Susanna Karth, Commencement Student Speaker

Midland College 38th Commencement

Friday, May, 13, 2011

Fellow graduates, faculty, and guests,

The theme of this speech is supposed to be what Midland College means to me. Well, we'd probably be here all night if I talked about that. MC has been such a part of my life. It wasn't long after my family moved to Midland in 2007 that I started taking classes here. Since then, so many people here, students, faculty, staff, have touched my life in so many ways; I couldn't even begin to name all of them.

What I really want to share with you tonight are some of the lessons I've learned in my time at MC. These are lessons I learned outside of the classroom, although I did learn a lot in class as well.

The first lesson was to keep going. Life is tough. I'm sure we've all had those days where we stumbled home after a long day with class in the morning and work in the afternoon and then stayed up all night studying for that test at 8:00 the next morning. I've been told it only gets tougher from here.

Life, or fate, or whatever you want to call it has thrown me a few curveballs which made my life even tougher. The most devastating of which was when I was diagnosed with CMT. Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome is a muscular neuropathy. It affects my feet, hands, legs, even my breathing. I have to deal with poor circulation, numbness, and extreme temperature changes make me feel literally ill. My body is so easily fatigued some days I can barely stay awake. The way my hands are shaking right now is only partly from nerves. It might have been easier if CMT was a disease everyone knew about. Hardly anybody knows what CMT is. Most people think it just stands for Country Music Television. Well, that's not the only thing it stands for. But I am not going to let it stop me.

I hate sob stories in speeches because they are way overused, so I hope that didn't sound too much like one. Anyway, the point is: what devastates you? Is there something in your life that hampering you from achieving your full potential? Maybe you're a single parent trying to raise a family, get an education and work all at the same time. Maybe you or a loved one is struggling with a disease or disability. Or maybe you have an awful roommate who drives you crazy and keeps you up half the night. No matter what it is, I challenge you to keep going. Do not let it conquer you. Be like Dory in Finding Nemo. “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” When you're stuck in a whale and feel like you're drowning from stress, stop, take a deep breath, and then move forward. Don't give up; don't give in; keep going.

 And as you keep going with your life, whether it's school, or work, or family, make sure you're going in the right direction. There's no point in moving forward if you're on the wrong side of the road. Find something fulfilling that you can pour your heart into. Something that will give you a purpose and direction. I was involved in more than one group here because each group was a different part of me. Drama club appealed to my creative side. I was able to release tension as I acted out different roles. Students in Philanthropy was my giving side. I wanted to help people, and giving away money was a great way to do it. Student government trained me for leadership. I wanted to make a difference, and I still do. These groups gave me a purpose outside of my academic endeavors and I think some days kept me from going insane in reaction to all my schoolwork. So, I challenge to find a group that can do the same for you. Whether it's a church group, or a club on campus, or a form of community outreach, or something else entirely, get involved. All work and no play will just discourage you. Find a balance. If you're doing something fulfilling, then I guarantee you no matter how much work it is it will feel like you're not working at all.

Second, don't go through life alone. No one can do everything by himself/herself. Even the Lone Ranger has Tonto.

During my time at Midland College, I have been blessed to achieve multiple academic endeavors.  However, I never would have earned all those awards by myself. It is because I was involved in so many things and interacted with so many people that I was qualified to earn those awards. It wasn't easy though.

There was a point in my life last semester where I was this close to giving up. It was one of those times when every class had something due, SIP was fund raising, the SGA convention was coming up, and, on top of all that, I had a bad cold. Again. Every cold germ always seems to find me. One day I just had enough and started crying my eyes out. I was so overwhelmed. And then a very wise lady told me that I didn't have to do it all. I had told myself that many times, but when someone else told me, it made all the difference. It finally sunk in. I don't have to do it all. And neither do you.

Yes, we should all try to make a difference. And yes, we should all try to succeed. But we don't have to do everything. Surround yourself with friends who will take care of you. Not just people who will follow you, but people who will argue with you if you are wrong; people who will work alongside you to achieve a goal; people who will watch your back; and you will do the same for them. I have many friends who have been there for me. So many in fact that it is very hard for me to mention only a few. There's my SIP friends, Susy and Amanda and Nancy and JR and Hilary and Matt and Jasmine and Kristen and oh, everybody else. They would all ask me “how's life?” and they would really want to know. And of course I'll never forget my friends in SGA: Aide and Malina and E.C. and Andre and Karla and Moriah and Dauvy and Carl and LaMark and Jeff and Vanessa and Joe; and that's only a few. They always stood by me. Always. And none of them were ever afraid to point out if everything wasn't the way it should be. It's hard to go wrong with friends like that.

These are the things Midland College has taught me, and they'll stay with me for the rest of my life. As you, the class of 2011, move forward with your lives, whether it's to a university, a job, or a family, I hope you'll remember these things as well. Remember to keep going no matter what as long as you're headed the right direction. Remember to never try to live your life alone, because no one can do everything. And remember Midland College, and all of the opportunities it gave you. Thank you.