Definitely!

Hello Everyone,

I didn’t prepare a speech today because there is so much to say from my heart that I don’t know how to compile it into one sheet of paper.

I want to start by saying how proud I am of everyone in our class.  This was a hard journey for all of us and now we’ve made it through.  I know it was equally tough on everyone no matter what walk of life we came from. 

I enrolled in this course because, even though I was a legal assistant, I knew that there was so much more for me to learn and I wanted to earn the title “paralegal.”  I had no idea, though, just how much of a difference this class would make in my life.  This wasn’t just a change of the title on my business card, this was a change of me as a whole.  I have never appreciated education as much as I did in this class or realized its value.  And last week, when I was in the book store buying the book “The Appeal” to read for extra credit, which I didn’t finish in time, I asked my son to grab a book marker for me.  The one he chose had on it the words “it is never too late to be what you might have been.”   Because of my experience in this program, I have now decided to go back to college, which is something I have always said I was too old to do.  I am forever thankful because this class opened those doors for me.

Friendship is another gift I am taking away from this class.  I have seen all of us make friends during the past few weeks and I know these friendships will be everlasting.  I could not have made it through this class without my friends. 

Maria – such a strong friend– my enforcer.  You always kept me on the right track and never let me give up.

Amy – you always kept the class smiling with your bright spirit.

Elvia – such a fiery personality full of passion.

Martin – it’s hard to describe you, Martin.  You are an incredible person – you are amazing and I adore you.

Katya – you were my lifeline, a friend in every way.  I would send you so many e-mails and text messages, some were so irrelevant such as how many flash cards I had created to study for the test, but you were always there for me no matter what.  You would send me electronic coffee to keep me awake late at night so that I could continue studying.  You were there to bring me up whenever I felt like I was sinking and I know I wouldn’t be here today without you.

I also want to thank my family for their support and for making it possible for me to attend this program, my husband for working so hard to do everything he could so that I’d have more time to do homework, and my boss for putting up with my grouchiness at work.

I’d like to talk about our class now and our teacher, Jac.  This is a fast track class, and I know many of us probably would not have taken the program if it was a drawn out long term program.  I want to thank University of Houston for offering this type of course for people like us who need it.  However, it is a real challenge for a course like this to be successful, and it would not be possible without a superior teacher - that’s Jac.  Her teaching style, her delivery, her presentations, her experiences, her contacts, her caring, her generosity with her time – she is what makes this program successful, successful in a way that at the end of the program, we have not just memorized the law, or simply learned it – we have lived it, we understand it, we appreciate it, and we respect it.

On a personal note – I know that in this short time frame I have just barely come to know the big heart that Jac has, and how she has helped so many people.  I don’t know all the things that make her special, I just know that she is, and it has been an honor to have been her student.

Sharon Ferrell - Valedictorian