Kernan: Cling to your goals

Freedom New Mexico correspondent: Heather Bumguardner From left, Robert Parker, Dylan Radcliff and Cage Riley wait to receive their diplomas at Eastern New Mexico University's commencement ceremony Saturday in the Greyhound Arena.

Eastern New Mexico University graduates were urged Saturday to cling to their goals and continue doing their homework.

Commencement speaker State Sen. Gay Kernan, R — Chaves, Curry, Eddy, Lea and Roosevelt –compared the university’s 322 graduates to the man largely credited as the political figure responsible for founding ENMU, former State Senator Graham Bryant.

Kernan’s address centered on the history of ENMU, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

She said graduates walking into the world carry the same attributes Bryant had to build on in founding the university.

“He knew the competition, and you need to know yours,” Kernan said. “You should recognize you are not a statistic and never relinquish the right to your goals.”

The graduation was ENMU’s 116th and was held in the Greyhound Arena.

Joshua Webster from Wagon Mound received his degree in psychology with a minor in fine arts.

“I came here in the fall of 2005,” Webster said. “It’s been a good time. I guess. Graduation was nice, and the speaker was short.”

Webster said he just hopes there is a job out there waiting for him. He said he sees a good future as a counselor because most people seem to find it easy to talk to him.

Lauren Standefer received her degree in family and consumer science. Standefer has been at ENMU five years .

“I started out with different majors,” Standefer said. “I took a couple of classes before I realized this is what I wanted to do.”

Standefer said she loved graduation and being at ENMU, adding, “It is a great school. It is like a community here.”