BARNESVILLE – Gordon State College’s largest graduating class in history – 600 students – listened as Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia told them not to let recent events deter them from reaching their goals. Gordon’s commencement exercises were held last Friday morning.
Chambliss, an attorney, was first elected to Congress from 8th District in 1994. He served four terms in the U. S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U. S. Senate in 2002. Re-elected in 2008, he now serves as the Senior Senator from Georgia. Chambliss is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the Senate Rules Committee, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He recently announced his decision not to run for re-election in 2014.
Chambliss told the graduates he knows it is hard to watch the news and not worry about how their generation will be treated, but that they must make their own way in the world.
“It is easy to feel overwhelmed with how much the world has changed, even in the short time that you’ve been here at Gordon,” said Chambliss. “Look no further than the events in Boston last month, where in a single instance, a joyous event celebrating human stamina and achievement transformed into a scene of life-changing carnage. Uncertainty and unease are two very powerful emotions. In my position as vice chairman of the Senate Selected Committee on Intelligence, I hear daily about what a scary place the world can be, and often times, I’m privy to details that keep me awake at night.
“But I also hear how dedicated young people like you who are graduating today, are working hard day and night, piecing together valuable information, foiling plots, taking down bad guys, and making sure another Boston or September 11 or an Oklahoma City do not happen. The things you’ve learned here at Gordon State and how you build on those experiences will have a direct impact on America’s place in the world,” said Chambliss. “No matter what career you embrace or how you decide to fit into this changing world, I urge you to do it with excellence.”
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