Speaker to graduates- Show me commitment

The best thing the 563 students receiving degrees Saturday from Southeast Missouri State University can do to ensure a prosperous Missouri is to stay put, said keynote speaker Joseph Driskill, director of the state's Department of Economic Development.

"The message I want to leave with you today is simple," he said. "Whether you are a native of Cape Girardeau, St. Louis, the Bootheel, another state, or even another country, as you leave this university, I want you to come home to Missouri."

Missouri is losing its highly educated students to other places that have figured out how to attract them with good jobs and a higher quality of living, Driskill said.

But Driskill asked the graduates to consider putting their degrees to work here.

"We need your knowledge, we need your inspiration and we need your ideas," he said.

Taffi Schurz graduated from Southeast with a degree in management and has landed a job with a financial services firm in St. Louis. Because Driskill's position as DED director related to her degree, she was glad he was the choice for keynote speaker.

"It's pretty exciting," she said of her outlook on the future. "I thought getting this degree would open a lot of doors for me."

Twenty-two percent of Missourians have college degrees, just two points below the national average, Driskill said.

"But for Missouri to be truly competitive in today's global marketplace, we must do much better," he said. "We need many more workers with college degrees. We can't be near average, or even average. We must be well above average."

Graduate Stephen Wortman is one of those looking for work in Missouri. He earned a secondary education degree with an emphasis in social studies.

"I'm looking to teach somewhere," he said. "But I haven't figured out where yet."

No area of the state needs more college-educated workers than Southeast Missouri, Driskill said.

"There is a lot of work that needs to be done in this area of the state, and Southeast Missouri State University is the catalyst for that change," he said.

PRIDE awardBefore Driskill's speech, Jack Sterrett, professor and chair of the department of marketing, received the annual PRIDE Award. The award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence as a teacher, an extraordinary level of scholarship and service, and whose accomplishments are noteworthy. Sterrett was selected by the council of deans after nominations were solicited from each of the university's colleges and schools. This was the seventh annual PRIDE Award presented.

Sterrett's course consistently rates strong with his students. He has received the Favorite Teacher Award, which was given at the Alumni Association Senior Dinner.

Worthy of honorFollowing Driskill's speech, university president Ken Dobbins and provost Jane Stephens acknowledged those graduating with honors.

When degrees were awarded to the graduates, many paused to hug professors and staff members when receiving their diplomas. Nearly every time a name was announced, loud cheers and hoots erupted from different corners of the Show Me Center, as family, friends and well-wishers celebrated their graduate's accomplishments.

Bonita Jamison of St. Louis was at the commencement to show support for her cousin, graduate Mirinda Cox, who will begin teaching in January.

"I wanted to wish her luck, and to tell her to have lots of patience," Jamison said.

At the end of the ceremony, Dobbins recognized the efforts of international students, nontraditional older students and those who struggled against odds to complete their degrees.

One of those was Robin Wilson Seiler, a 40-year-old mother who earned her degree in historic preservation.

"She's not a traditional student," said her mother, Dixie Wilson of Sikeston, Mo. "She went back to school and graduated with honors. We're very, very proud of her."

Before dismissing the graduates, Dobbins asked them to stand and wave to those who have helped support them throughout their educational careers.

"That's a new part of the ceremony," he said to the thousands waving their hands and smiling, "I think we'll keep it."

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160