“Community colleges are central to building a vibrant economy and resilient work force,” Secretary Duncan said in commencement addresses at De Anza College and Foothill College.
He noted that these institutions serve many students who are working, immigrants, raising a family, or the first in their family to attend college.
“They are absolutely critical to meeting President Obama’s goal of America once again having the highest percentage of college graduates in the world by 2020,” he said.
At De Anza College in Cupertino, CA, he told how education helped two immigrants pursue the American dream: Gary Locke and Sonia Sotomayor.
In remarks at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA, he talked about “the Protean Career” – the need to manage uncertainty, anticipate change, and adapt to it. “Your ability to adapt, to be creative, and pursue your passion are, in large measure, going to determine how you fare in the job market and in life,” he said.
He encouraged graduates to be “a person of influence for good in the world” and to…
“Find what you love, find your genius. Find what would you get up and do every day, even if you weren’t getting a paycheck. And whatever that calling is, pursue it with all your heart.”
Read the full text of his remarks at De Anza College and Foothill College.
De Anza College in Cupertino, CA
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Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA
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