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"Only Our Hands and Hearts Can Work for Change"
Student Commencement speech by Christian Ramirez-Coll

Family and friends, faculty, staff and fellow students, welcome to the Commencement ceremonies of the Class of 2003. Four years ago we began a journey of self discovery. It took courage to leave the comfort of home. It took a lot of knowledge and an open mind to new endeavors to help us change. In this institution we found our new home and its faculty, staff and students became our fathers, mothers and siblings. Through classes, activities and perhaps the orientation bugaloo we found new groups to call family, new people to call friends.

My journey began with the Villanova football family. And the hard working Dining Services family. I toiled through morning running, spring training and other intense activities. I became disciplined to team work as well as multi-tasking the subs, heroes, hoagies, foot-longs with little tomatoes, pickles, peppers, tuna and any other edible substance. I became part of a brotherhood. Oh there are sure sororities or fraternities with their own strange ways of showing tough love. And still others chose organizations with more civilized ceremonies because it seems to become part of a family, to become part of a greater organization, we must go through a right of passage; a battle to prove our courage, commitment and love.

I address you all today as part of Villanova’s family and ask you have you passed through Villanova or has Villanova passed through you. Our academic achievements might be a testimony to our commitment to excel but our submersion in Villanova’s culture is a sign of our love. If we just cruised through Villanova unchanged by the different lifestyles, cultures and people we have encountered these words have no meaning. Yet at Villanova’s mission to enrich us as humans has passed through us we have pressed our ears close to the hearts of others and we have listened to their lives and words.

We came from many different places whether it is from Long Island; Nome, Alaska; or San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our baggage encompassed much more than the clothes we wear, our hands and hearts carried the burden of any assumptions and misguided beliefs we might have and only our hands and hearts can work for change and destroy these assumptions letting us enjoy the warmth of each other.

It would be improbable to find someone that can say that culture has not changed the way they see the world. As in past generations we have found out that culture is powerful enough to destroy lives. The cries of terrorism broke away the routines of regular life. All of a sudden, people’s beliefs in God became the center of disputes and quarrels. We were thrust into a situation where we had to choose to either listen to the philosophies of others and accept them as the human beings they are or to ignore their intrinsic innocence as our family members under God, any god or no god at all.

As we rose from the ashes standing tall, united we face the challenge of a pilgrimage from our parochial pastures to a world community committed to all our brothers and sisters from other nations. It began here. As people in this community defended their own cultures against those who chose ignorance, we saw hope as activities arose on campus, ceremonies, prayers, colloquia - all addressing our differences and our values. We embarrassed each other as flags flew high in the air as the signs of commitment to American beliefs. And if we have accepted this pilgrimage questioning our beliefs and cultures, if we have used our education to enhance those beliefs and understand those of others, we have become Villanovans.

The battles that we have won or lost at Villanova make us all family. A family gathered here to begin a new battle with pristine eyes and open minds. Unearth our potentials as it may the world needs our hands of change. The world needs our courage, vision, commitment and love. We Villanovans, we future doctors, lawyers, architects, engineers, and CEOs possess the hands and hearts to work for change.

Let us celebrate the journey we have begun, and let us join past Villanovans in an effort to not just pass through the world but let the world pass through us. Thank you.