Rep. Israel addresses Old Westbury graduates

SUNY-Old Westbury

Number of undergraduate degrees: 709

Number of graduate degrees: 13

Keynote speaker: At today's commencement ceremony, U.S. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington): "Never before in the span of human history have the decisions left to one generation, yours, had more of a profound impact on the next generation. I have a fundamental hope. You may think, 'Come on, Congressman, you may have hope, but how can I make a difference? I'm only one person against nine billion. How can I really change the planet for those nine billion?' ... We live in a world of too many self-imposed limitations. Too often in facing the challenges that confront us we hear, 'Oh, it's too hard. It's too expensive. It's going to involve too much change, the American people can't take all this change right now. Or it's too little change.' Since when do the American people start losing our faith in each other's ability to solve problems? Since when did we begin taking no for example?"

Student speaker: Lisa Ribacoff, Student Government Association president: "Life has no limits and can be difficult and unpredictable. But in turn, it can also be thrilling and enjoyable. Life is about having faith and believing in yourself. By doing this, it generates confidence in who you are. ... Everyone sitting here today needs to remember that things will change, and what we learned may become obsolete, but learning how to learn is what this journey was all about. The journey is only beginning - we have proven we can learn, now it's time to for us earn, and learn more, so we can stay current."

Tiffany Ferguson, 22

Hollis, Queens

BA, Media and Communications

She has an internship lined up with ABC television and will begin searching for a full-time job. "I'm starting a new chapter in my life. It's kind of scary but exciting too."

Rainier Sapuy, 28

East Meadow

BA, Biological Sciences

"I'm ready to go out and make some money. I've got a lot of offers. I'm ready to get out there and devote all my time to making some money. I've been broke the last couple of years."

Milena Zeljkovic, 28

Bosnia

BS, Finance

"I'm going to look for a job in New York. Coming here as an international student was fantastic. I liked the different lifestyles. I'm hoping to get a job in finance."

Selvia Antonio Blanco, 36

Westbury

BS, Business Administration

A member of the Naval Reserves, he is heading to Afghanistan in June. "I'm very happy I made it. That's the reason I signed up for the military. When I come back from my year, I'm going to go for my MBA."

Samantha Fox, 24

Bethpage

BS, Business Administration

"I'm going to find a better job. Right now I do payroll and HR full-time and go to school full-time. It was a long journey and I'm happy it's ending so I can just focus on work. I've already had an interview for my dream job - with the WWE."

Christhian Sanchez, 21

East Hampton

BA, Criminology

"For now I'm not trying to work anywhere. I'm going to travel the world a bit, I just want a break. I want to do some missionary work in South America, that's my plan for the next couple of months."

Christian Martinez, 21

Glendale, Queens

BS, Accounting

"I'm trying to get a job as a CPA. I have to study for the test first and I'm in the process of applying to schools to get an MBA. I'm very proud today, I'm the first in my family to graduate from college."

Cecilia Renderos, 41

Huntington Station

BS, Childhood Education

"It's a great accomplishment. It's taken a long time for me and my whole family - I've raised two children. I'm very proud for me and my family. As soon as I get my paper on the stage, I will start looking for a job teaching mathematics in high school."

- REID EPSTEIN