Michael R. Sanderson/Introduction
"As you grow and learn, you will find yourselves at any of a number of crossroads. We've done the best we can to prepare you for those choices but the final preparation is yours to make. Will you leave the D? Will you come home someday? Will you work for yourself or for someone else? Your paths are yours to write now. But there is something selfish I'd like to take this time to do now and I'll apologize in advance for taking advantage of this podium to give you one last suggestion:
"I think you should become teachers.
"There, I said it. You should seriously consider becoming teachers. Especially you fellas. I know what you're thinking - that teachers are lame and when you can go home and all that, but seriously: it's a damned good job. We always talk about changing the world to you guys. Some of you may remember my lesson on simple machines - yeah, yeah the one with the racetrack. Remember the lever? That's what being a teacher's like. I make a racetrack, and not one of you will forget your list of simple machines again.
"That's what leverage is all about. Now your folks may be out there cringing, 'there's no money in teaching' they might be thinking - even if they'd never say it out loud. But there's more to life than paper. Every day of every year you've been here I've been watching you grow, watching you learn, watching you become the people you are today. I can look around here full of hope, something we don't get feel out in the world too often. And in some way... I grow with you. That feeling? That feeling is incredible. You can't buy that. I can't recommend it enough."
