Text of the speech Larry Tamaccio gave as the student speaker at December 2008 Commencement.

Ralph Waldo Emerson has said “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail.”

These words speak to the explorer within each of us: That noble spirit within every human heart which directs us towards greatness even in the face of overwhelming odds. I am certainly not one to follow the preordained path. Truth be told I applied to West Chester only three weeks before the beginning of the spring semester, was accepted two weeks later and had never set foot on this campus before my first day of class. I'm pretty sure that at this point its safe to admit that when I transferred here two years ago all that I wanted was to keep my health insurance. However after attending my first class, meeting my professors and making new friends among my fellow students, I realized that with the wealth of opportunities being presented to me health insurance would be the least of the benefits that I would receive here at West Chester.

West Chester has provided me with direction. West Chester has provided me with drive, and, most importantly, at a time in my life when I didn't know which way was up and which was down, this university, these fine people, all of you, provided me the greatest gift that one can give; confidence.

I could stand here and tell you any of the generic stories common to all college students. Stories about waking up just in time to miss a big test or of all-nighters before a final, tales of falling in love, falling apart and then falling in love again, but I won't do that. I could tell you any number of my favorite stories from West Chester, most of which end “and then she never spoke to me again”, but I wont do that either. I was asked to speak about the “student experience” at this university, to speak of things to which all students can relate and in that spirit I would like to tell you about the very first class I took here.

In January of 2007 I walked into Main Hall for the first time and found a seat in the back of Dr. Schroepfer's Religion in America class. This was my first class as a student of philosophy, my first uncertain step into uncharted territory. Yes, I overslept for this class. Yes, I stayed up all night preparing for papers and tests. Yes, I fell in love in that class and yes, I spent more than a little time spaced out, playing Free Cell and watching the clock on my laptop. However it was in this class that I found all of the things that make West Chester great. I found a professor who was highly skilled and passionate about her work. I found students of different years, majors, ages, races and sexes all of whom were eager to learn and even more eager to engage each other in meaningful discussions in order to better themselves and those around them. Most importantly, I found myself. That, I believe, is the one true common thread among West Chester students. For all of our differences, in the end, we are all here for one reason; to find ourselves and our own way through life.

Two years ago if you had asked me what I was going to do with my life I would have put on my best charm smile, laughed and quickly changed the subject. I stand before you today a changed man. In my time here at West Chester I have been, we have all been, challenged. The challenge did not come from some external force but rather it was a challenge issued from deep within ourselves. In enrolling here at West Chester, I, along with all of my fellow students gathered here today, have challenged ourselves to discover our passions and to master them and, with the support of our families, friends, fellow students and dedicated faculty, we have risen to that challenge.

Not one of the fine young men and women about to graduate have gotten here on their own. I am certainly no exception. It is important, on a day when we take time to celebrate ourselves, to also celebrate those who have helped us and never to forget all that they've done to better our lives. I would personally like to thank all of the members of the philosophy department. In particular Drs. Foley, Forbes, Schroepfer, Udell, Woolfrey and the recently retired Dr. Struckmeyer, all of whom took a personal interest in my academic career and inspired me to do my best. A special Thank You to my parents who somehow always knew where I was headed, even when I had lost sight of my own trail. Thank You to all of those who are not here today who were equally important in our academic lives; friends, family and countless others who provided us with the support we needed everyday. In closing I would like to say that I wish all of my fellow students good luck as we begin blazing our own trails through life.