Subject: Remarks of Dr. Jill Biden at Northern Virginia Community College Commencement Ceremony as Prepared for Delivery
From: White House Press Office<[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 14 May 2016 19:02:21 -0500

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2016

*Remarks of Dr. Jill Biden at Northern Virginia Community College Commencement Ceremony as Prepared for Delivery*

Jiffy Lube Live

Bristow, Virginia

Hello, NOVA!

This is a special night for me. This will be my final commencement address as Second Lady, and what an honor to do it at the college that means the most to me. Thank you to President Ralls and the Board of Trustees.

Congratulations, graduates, you did it! On behalf of President Obama, the First Lady and the Vice President, my husband Joe  we are all so proud of you. Graduating from college is an extraordinary achievement. Cherish this moment. Yes, its an individual accomplishment. But, its also a team effort. So, lets thank your teachers, your friends and your families.

You never know where life will take you. I grew up in Philly. After I married Joe, I lived in Delaware for most of my life. I raised our children and taught full-time at another community college. Then, in 2008, Joe was asked to be President Obamas running mate. And when we won, everything changed.

I started receiving emails from someone at NOVA. He would write, Jill, you have to keep teaching. Please consider us. We know you would love it here! Well, Dean Jimmy McClellan, thank you for all those emails. Thank you for your encouragement, and for all of your support during the last 8 years. Truly, I wouldnt be here tonight without you.

When I took Jimmy up on his offer to visit the Alexandria campus, I immediately fell in love. It felt like home. Joe and I had just moved into the Vice Presidents Residence at the Naval Observatory in DC. And I was given a new office in the White House. It has marble floors and columns, a fireplace, and large windows that over-look the National Mall. 

Then of course, I have my cubicle at NOVA. But, like all the other teachers, my cubicle is filled with family photos, crayon drawings from my grandchildren, notes from my students. Its a place that feels most like me.

Its been an honor to serve our country but I knew at the time that if I wanted to stay true to myself, I had to keep teaching. Because teaching is not just what I do; its who I am. 

All of the teachers here today understand that. We take this responsibility home with us every single night. Teaching doesnt end when you walk out of the classroom. Were invested in you  our students and your future. We cajole. We counsel. We mentor. We do whatever it takes to make that connection with our students; to give them the confidence they need to succeed in school and beyond.

As a lifelong educator, I couldnt leave that behind. I couldnt just move to Washington and only live Joes life. So, ever since then, Ive pretty much been living a double life.

One moment, Im taping a live interview at 7:15 AM in the Blue Room at the White House for the TODAY Show talking about President Obamas State of the Union address and his continued support of community colleges. And then the next moment, at 8:00 AM, Im in class at NOVA teaching English Comp 111.

Many of my students dont know I have two jobs. For example, at the end of one semester, about a year ago, a student of mine came running into my classroom and said, Dr. B I saw you on the television last night with First Lady Michelle Obama. My student said to her mother, Mom! Mom! Thats my English teacher! And her mother said, Thats not your teacher, thats the Second Lady. They may not know that Im married to the Vice President, but my students know that my first priority is to them.

And Ive loved being part of this Administration. Ive tried to use my position to make a difference for military families, for women and girls around the world, and for teachers and community colleges and their students.

As a community college educator, I feel like I was in the right place at the right. The Obama-Biden administration has lifted up community colleges, recognizes their value and the importance of investing in them. Its been the opportunity of a lifetime. Its been an incredible journey.

But when Im at NOVA, Im home. Im one of you. A member of the faculty. Your English teacher. Im part of the NOVA community. And Ive learned as much from my students  from all of you  as I have from traveling around the world. So, youre probably thinking, as Second Lady shes met famous people like the Queen, stayed in exotic palaces and dined with world leaders. 

But every step of the way, Ive been inspired by the strength and courage of ordinary people across our country doing extraordinary things  just like you, the students at NOVA. What you are doing is emblematic of Americas very best traditions  hard work, self-improvement, asking for only one thing: opportunity.

Just as America has progressed over the years, so too has NOVA. This is NOVAs 50th anniversary. The first class to graduate from NOVA had 82 students. Ten were women. And they received degrees in eight different fields. Tonight, over 7,600 students will receive their college diploma. Fifty five percent are women. You have earned degrees in 60 fields of study. And half of you will transfer to a four-year college within a year.

When I started teaching 30 years ago, community college students were typically seen as non-traditional. But today, with more than half of our nations college students attending community colleges, with so many of you working full time, supporting families, and still attending school, non-traditional has become the new traditional.

You are single parents who come to school in the evening, weary from a long day, yet eager to create a brighter future for your children. You are workers, who have gone as far as you can in your jobs, coming back to school to get the skills you need to reach the next level. And, several of tonights graduates are veterans. 

As a military mom, I am always inspired by the strength, resilience and pride of our veterans. I know you have the skills, discipline and leadership to succeed in anything you put your mind to. You are among the best our nation has to offer. Thank you, to all of the veteran graduates here tonight, for your service to our country.

Now, most commencement speakers give graduates advice on what to expect when they graduate and enter the real world. But most of you already live in the real world. The average age of a community college student is 28 years old. And one of my students was 83. Regardless of circumstances, you show up. You work hard. And, I am profoundly moved by your determination to learn, and by your quest to make a better life for yourselves.

So, as I was thinking about what to say to all of you tonight, rather than give you advice on how to succeed in life, I gave myself an assignment. Every semester in my class, I assign an essay to my students using the title, This I Believe. I first heard about it on National Public Radio. I ask them to tell me their core beliefs. Something they would be willing to stand up for; to speak for; to fight for.

Tonight, Id like to share with you my own essay about what I believe.

This I believe: I have long said that community colleges are Americas best kept secret, but I believe its time for that to change. I believe we need to celebrate community colleges  and their students  for who they really are: innovative, inspiring and essential. Not just celebrate, but support.

But this, too, I believe: Too many hardworking Americans still have to worry about whether college is affordable. For millions of people across the country, community college is the single best path to opportunity  to achieving their dreams  whether that means earning a four-year degree or finding a rewarding career.

This I believe: The more than 1,100 community colleges nationwide are not just the key to a brighter future for their students, they are the backbone of Americas postsecondary education and training system  and one of the keys to a more prosperous economic future. Thats why I also believe  as does President Obama  that community college should be free for all responsible students.

This I believe: With the education that you have received here at NOVA, there is literally no limit to how high you can go. Community college graduates have gone on to become successful CEOs, journalists, Hollywood directors, even astronauts.

Finally, this I believe: a community college education can truly change peoples lives. And community college graduates  including every single one of you  can change the world.

I believe in you. Always believe in yourselves.

Congratulations, graduates!

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