Commencement

Commencement Keynote Speaker: Mona Locke

Mona Locke Address
Edmonds Commencement
June 17, 2005

Good Evening, President Oharah, Ronald Howell, and the other trustees, honored faculty, guests and graduates.

Graduations are great occasions.

As I pondered the question of what to say to you tonight, it was reassuring for me to recall something someone very wise once said about commencement speeches.

That is: that when you boil it down, what a commencement speech really is -is simply the one final obstacle that stands between a graduate and his or her impending liberation. So, the most important thing a speaker can do….is to keep it short!

Graduations are moments of transition.

In fact, in some ways, I'm a little like a graduate myself, lately --going from being first lady for the state to being both a private citizen and television journalist, again.

My actual graduation from college was in the 1980's. Back then I was energetic, idealistic and ready to conquer the world. Now that I'm the one up here giving a commencement speech… well, I just feel OLD.

However, as I looked at the composition of your graduating class, it occurred to me that some of you are starting new lives at an older age, too.

That's no doubt true of the oldest member of your class because she's 69. (Marlas Debolt.. She's receiving a Patient Care Technician certificate. Congratulations Marlas)

The youngest graduate in the class of 2005, on the other hand-Kallie Ferguson-is just 17. Kallie is receiving an Associate of Arts transfer degree. Congratulations, Kallie.

Although the average age in the class of 2005 is 29 and I'm guessing that the majority of you are probably single with no dependents., the rest of you are likely either older than that or married with children or single parents, or in some other category all your own.

As I read personal profiles on a few of you in the Class of 2005, I found some very interesting stories.

The story of Steven Sanders, for example, who is graduating with both his high school diploma and an Associate of Technical Arts degree in Business Management. Steven had dropped out of high school and decided later to come back to school, "not just for the money" he said, but for himself. In doing that, like many others of you in this class, he became the first member of his family to earn a college degree.

The stories of Michael Aspen and Sheri Lee Jones-a couple who came here together pursuing second careers-are similarly interesting.

Michael had spent 24 years in the navy and came here having already acquired a Bachelor of Science degree. His studies here in the culinary arts will continue on when he leaves here to study at a prestigious school in London on scholarship from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Sheri has earned a two-year degree in Landscape Design.. She'll continue her studies at the University of Washington and hopes to open her own landscape architecture firm.

I think it's interesting how each of us writes a story with our lives that unfolds day by day, sometimes in unexpected ways.

For myself, I would have never dreamt… some 9 years ago, that I would ever have been first lady.

Nine years ago I was happily working full-time as a television reporter at a Seattle TV station, married to then King County Executive Gary Locke. Life was definitely good, happy… peaceful. But then, a surprising thing happened, my husband came home one day and asked how I would feel if he ran for Governor.

From then on, life changed forever… I quit my job and campaigned full time. It was a grueling time… criss-crossing the state, marching in parades, attending events, giving speeches… from morning to night.

Then, another new chapter in my life -- I learned I was pregnant… in the middle of the campaign. With no disrespect intended, between ourselves we called it, the "immaculate conception."

And I'll never forget election night… the returns came in… and we were up by so many votes, that the pundits called it in our favor. It was truly a defining moment for me… and definitely a transition, a new chapter of my life.

I remember my mother congratulating me… and then, tears… just started streaming down my eyes. Uncontrollable tears. Not exactly the reaction you'd expect. My mother said, "honey, why are you crying? This should be the happiest day of your life." My response - "mom, this was Gary's dream, not mine."

That's because before I met my husband, I'd moved to 5 different states in 7 years in pursuit of my career in broadcast, finally planning to settle in with a good job in Seattle. And all of a sudden at that moment, I realized my whole life was about to change… and I had no idea what to expect.

So, in January of 1997, we took office as Governor and First Lady. . We moved to Olympia where I knew no one. I had our first child, Emily… a month and a half after our move. And, I had to permanently give up the career I spent my life pursuing.

I playfully call it my "early mid-life crisis." At the same time, it was also the biggest blessing of my life. The experiences we have shared, the challenges we have faced… I wouldn't trade it for the world…. Except, perhaps one aspect of it.

When one is First Lady of a state… the ups and downs and daily events of your life are sometimes a bit more public than I ever imagined.

In fact, it's hard to do even the basic things in life… without there being a press conference about it.

Basic things…. Like having a BABY.

Or getting stuck in Seattle traffic.

(When was the last time YOU were stuck in traffic that you felt like having your quote unquote "deepest FEELINGS….at the moment covered on TV?)

Or getting locked out of your HOUSE.

Actually….that LAST one….
Getting locked out of our house…
is a story the media actually missed OUT on.
And think of the HEADLINE that might have been…
"LOCKE'S ….LOCKED OUT?"

Now somebody being locked out of their house… Doesn't seem all that newsworthy. It happens to everybody. You lose your KEY. Or run outside to your car to get something…. the wind blows the door shut. And there you are. Out of luck. But my story is a little bit DIFFERENT than that.

BECAUSE you see…. neither Gary nor I HAD a key to the Governor's mansion.

That's RIGHT.

You see state troopers- guarded us and the governor's mansion day and night. And it was those state TROOPERS…
who actually HAD the key…
to the governor's MANSION.

So if the trooper on duty had stepped away…And Gary or I showed up at home-at an unexpected time-we were effectively LOCKED OUT!

And we had to sit in the car and WAIT…
Or flag somebody DOWN…
To let us into the HOUSE.

On the surface…that's pretty FUNNY, I know. But there's a very serious, and I think rather INSPIRING MESSAGE behind it.

We didn't have the KEY to the Governor's mansion…
because in TRUTH the Governor's Mansion didn't BELONG to me. Or Gary.

Like everything from the ocean beaches and publicly owned forest lands …to the salmon run, to all the state buildings and roads in Washington, the governor's MANSION belongs to YOU.

And so when a state trooper opens the door for us at night….He's opening it on behalf of all of YOU.

And I think it's a wonderful IMAGE.

BECAUSE

It's really you who opens the door
to all the Possibilities…
that are OUT there…
for our state. Today. And in the future.

I see people doing amazing things every day….GOOD things.
that DON'T make the news…

Sometimes they do it…in the course of their jobs. (By going BEYOND… what the job calls for them to do.)

Sometimes they do it as VOLUNTEERS.

Here, in Washington state, there are so many heroes… whose stories you don't know. Heroes who have been working for years… not for money, not for prestige, but for you… for us. Simply because they care.

And, I was pleased to see that members of this class are or have already been involved with service.

From my perspective, community engagement is exactly the sort of thing that can change our world, for the better.

So if you look around, not just at what volunteers are doing but at how we achieve progress, you realize that things only get done because of PEOPLE.

Not only does this state and everything in it belong to you. Your life, your story and how you live it is integral to the life of our state … and how IT turns out.

You have worked hard, but you have also been blessed with educational privilege. I encourage you to use a portion of the special advantages you will have in life because of it…. To serve others.

I spoke when I opened up this evening about my transition back to being a reporter, a job in which I'm privileged to write stories about our times and about other peoples' lives. So I think it's appropriate that I close with a story about another reporter from another time who found himself reporting on a man whose service to others-service accomplished through humble, consistent, non-violent action-changed the course of his country's history: Indian leader, Mahatma Gandhi.

In this story Gandhi had just finished appearing at a political rally. He'd boarded a train and he was standing on the platform. As the train pulled away this reporter came running down the track after him saying, " Mr. Gandhi, Mr. Gandhi, "Do you have a message for the people?"

Gandhi's answer was:
"Tell them my life is the message."

So let me suggest tonight to each of you that you ask yourself the question: "What is the message I want to send with my life?"

You have already shown that you CAN succeed… through your wonderful value, perseverance, courage and focus on academic achievement.

Yours is a story that has no end…. For the good you can do for your community is infinite. As you continue in life's ambitions, I urge you to remember those who don't have the opportunities you have had.

As surely as the state trooper who opened the door for me each day when I returned to the Governor's Mansion

YOU are the ones that open the door to EVERYTHING.
Of all those very basic things that make this place WORK…. THE ultimate one, the one we can't live WITHOUT ….is YOU.

Congratulations!
Best wishes as you continue in life's journey.