Message from the President
Dear Graduates,
It is with deep pride that I offer my congratulations on the life-changing milestone you have accomplished here at California State University, Bakersfield: Earning a college degree.
In a matter of weeks, you will walk across the commencement stage and receive your diploma and the well wishes of the entire Roadrunner community. But getting to that day has taken years of hard work, sacrifice and perseverance. Thank you for staying the course, and keeping your eyes focused on achieving this goal.
With the education you have received from your outstanding professors, you have the necessary tools to effect change in our world. You will find fulfillment in the many roles you will hold in life: as a professional in your field, as a parent, a son or daughter, a neighbor, a leader in the community.
But never limit yourself to the labels that others place on you.
In the words of Toni Morrison, “Definitions belong to the definers, not the defined.”
Always be true to yourself, to the essence that makes you an original.
As you go forward, I call on you to do good in your lives and to dedicate yourself to a cause that is greater than yourself.
Congratulations, graduates! Here’s to your brilliance, here’s to your hard work and your crowning achievement.
You are the pride of CSUB!
Sincerely,
Lynnette Zelezny, Ph.D., M.B.A.
