REMARKS BY TAYVIS DUNNAHOE
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-DOWNTOWN
COMMENCEMENT MAY 12, 2007

Mark Twain provided us with the famous "Be careful what you wish for..." Well, I can't say I wished for being a commencement speaker; nevertheless, I am honored to be representing UHD at this honorable occasion.

This occasion, and the chance to recreate my life, is indeed something I wished for.

And it came true–Let me explain by taking you on a journey--my journey, which will parallel so many of yours.

My journey represents a true triumph and a major ironic twist. I say this because the last time I was present at this stadium it was still under construction. It was 2003, and I was working at a job that paid a fair wage and provided me with insurance. Actually, it provided me with everything I needed. Yet, in spite of these benefits, I had no passion for my job.

At the end of the day I wasn't certain what I accomplished? I only knew that I was spending a majority of each workday wandering throughout this building while dreaming, constantly and vividly, about a day when I would return to school on a full time basis. Of course, the constant daydreaming actually explains why I was eventually fired from that job.

Tonight, my daydream has finally been realized. My wish has come true. This is without a doubt, the greatest day of my life.

A cliché? Yes.

It's a cliché because it is born of truth. But to make this more clear, let me tell you about the worst day of my life.

In 1991, after my first failed attempt at college, I relegated myself to the life of a factotum, that is, I became a person who moved from job to job with no clear goals in sight.

I lived out my early to mid-twenties as an extension of my adolescence. I did many stupid things and I have scars to prove this. I eventually became disillusioned by life and my long term ambitions gave way to the short term gains of dabbling with illegal drugs. I was caught and, on January 5, 1999, I was forced to surrender my freedom.

Once I processed the full impact of my mistake, I silently prepared myself for a life absent of achievement and caught in a constantly repeating loop of recidivism that plagues so many men and women who find themselves entangled by the criminal justice system.

Fortunately, on the morning my sentence was to begin, I experienced an epiphany. This moment was reinforced by my mother, who has always been my biggest fan, when she told me, "It does not matter how far you have fallen in life because you can always climb back up to the life of your dreams." Today, I can honestly say that she was right and, although my family remained supportive through this period, they were not alone.

My arrival at UHD was marked by the eventual introductions to many of its faculty who I found to be incredibly encouraging and who endorsed my efforts throughout my education.

My second semester while enrolled in a course with Dr. Merillee Cunningham, I saw first hand how an exceptional teacher interacts with students. She told me I could write–that I could write well! She introduced me to Professor Dagmar Corrigan who hired me as a peer tutor in UHD's Writing Center where I learned to become a mentor and a friend. For the first time in my life, I was working at something that I actually enjoyed doing, so I decided to declare my major in the Professional Writing Program.

From here, I eventually became a staff writer for the Dateline, UHD's student-run newspaper. Under the guidance of Dr. Anthony Chiaviello, The Dateline allowed the freedom of press and I was encouraged to use the newspaper as a clinic for crafting my skills as a writer and a journalist. Again, in the beginning of my senior year, it took the foresight of Dr. Stephanie Turner to offer me an inside opportunity to apply for a well sought after internship with a major oilfield services company. As a result, I am now graduating with over a year of experience in professional writing.

Due to the support of the entire faculty at UHD, I am now pursuing a career in journalism, I am entering the workforce with confidence, and I have already secured a position with a major trade magazine in Houston's vibrant energy sector.

My journey has proceeded through several major phases. The first, was to grow up and to accept the full responsibilities of my actions.   A bi-product of maturity was to become decisive about a place where I could test my true potential, and to find out whether my dreams had an chance of becoming reality. Thanks to UHD and the mentors who guided me through this second phase I have reached a high level of personal achievement. And the third phase? Well, that's represented by today–an occasion, which frames my endeavors, and provides me with the powerful feeling that I can achieve anything.

Well, that's a synopsis of my story. It isn't unique–but its mine. Each of you who are graduating tonight also has a story. You have stories of perseverance, overcoming obstacles and stories of strength. Now, you have a story of success. You have achieved a wonderful dream–your dream is now a reality.

These words by Mark Twain spoke to me. I believe they will also speak to you: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore! Dream! Discover!" Thank You.