UNLV Commencement Speech 1 Gary Xavier, UNLV PGA Program 
President Ashley,  Members of the Board of Regents, faculty and administration, family and friends who have 
traveled from near and far: we all humbly thank you for your unconditional support and never-ending patience. 

My fellow graduates, the class of 2009! We havefinallymade it.We embarked on a great journey 
four…five…maybe six years in the making,but we made it and we did sobased on faith…faith that our efforts 
and arduous tasks, we would experiencethroughout college, would be redeemed by the promiseof prosperity. 
We entrusted our hopesto one institution. We chose this university, the University of Nevada Las Vegas…To 
be the vessel that would help shape our minds and provideus a focal point with which we could enhance the 
world throughadvanced perspectives. 

The journey that brought me to this university is similar to some students here, but different from many. I am 
blessed to be the first person in my family to attend and graduate from college. I have the honor of calling 
myself a United Sates Marine.  And I have had the pleasure of experiencing two military vacations inthe 
Middle East.  Now, I have hung from helicoptersand been deprivedoffood and sleep for days on end, so you 
can imagine my surprise, upon my arrival at UNLV, whenI feltan emotion so many of us feelthroughout 
college: fear…may be its our fear of not being smart enough or our fear of falling short of a long list of 
expectations, butI do know this fear justifies the struggle and sacrifices we all have endured to attain something 
so precious: our college education. 
 
Today, the people of the world face many challenges; however, with our advanced perspectives, wecan see 
light when the world sees only darkness. Wecanbelieve in hope when others believe in despair. We can strive 
for greatness when others only accept mediocrity. But, why should we care about the legacy that we leaveon 
the world? Why should it be up to us to change the future? My question is, why not us? There was a moment in 
our history just before a great world war, whenpeople were losing their homes, jobs were non-existent, and fear 
was contagious…sounds familiar, butthe youth of this time materialized an internal strength that has not been 
demanded, previously, from our own generation. My fellow graduates, we must be ready to accept the 
responsibility, to be ourselves. We must paint, build, write, develop, and design new visions for our future. Our 
education has prepared us for this –to make the decisionsand take the actions that will forever impact the 
world.  We are ready to face this world, because we have been tested, but more importantly, we have been 
touched by the hand of wisdom.  We have been given a great gift and so why are we still afraid? Why do we 
still feel uneasy about the road ahead?  I wouldlike to share with you a poem by the renowned spiritual activist, 
Marianne Williamson.  You may have heard this before, but nevertheless, it should serve us as a message of 
hope in moments when we question our true potential and fill our hearts with our deepest fear.  "Our deepest 
fear is not that we are inadequate, it is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness 
that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Your 
playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't 
feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine as children do. It is not just in some of us, it is in 
everyone, and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As 
we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." 

It is my honor to be among you, the graduates of the University of Nevada Las Vegas. 

Thank you and congratulations