Congratulations to the graduates

Congratulations to the new crop of graduates. Your hard works has paid off and now, as you prepare for a new journey into the real world, remember it was hard work that got you this far and it will be hard work that will make you a success in your field of endeavor.

As a boy I remember helping my dad load an old lumpy mattress on top of the worn out family car for our annual trip to Hollister (not to be confused with the department store). My parents, both of Mexican descent, who never went beyond the sixth grade, were farm workers. My dad would pick apricots and my mom would cut them in halve and pit them. Then it was up to Gilroy to pick prunes then back to Fresno for the grape harvest (what I call, to rephrases Steinbeck, the “Chicano grapes of wrath”). I graduated from high school, found out I could not afford college and quit. I eventually went back to college, earned an AA from Fresno City College, a BA and an MPA from San Diego State. This was possible because of a dedicated wife who practically raised our two sons while she and I worked full-time and while I attended evening classes and burned the midnight oil. I do acknowledge help from the government, a small stipend. Not because I was white, black or brown, but because of a grateful nation for my service in the Marine Corps. There was no white privilege, no affirmative action. There were no quiet places, secure zones or other places to vent. There was just a warm home to crash in after a 12 or more hour day.

So my advice to those who want to advance, don’t piss and moan; have a vision, set a goal, formulate a plan, begin your trip and stay motivated because in the end anything worthwhile takes time. And now, in the sunset of our years, we can take pride in having two sons, both college graduates and both teachers. Si se puede. Again, congratulations to the new crop of graduates. You are the future. JOHN BAKER El Centro