Graduates urged to follow passion, better their communities

May 22, 2010 -- today honored speakers -- an environmentalist and civil rights leader among them -- urged the Class of 2010 to follow their passion, pursue their dreams and work to better their communities.

"Follow your particular passion. I'm sure you have something to say, don't be shy. Get out there and say it," he told the Class of 2010. "Work hard, party hard and fight on."
VIT conferred honorary Bachelor of Humane Letters degrees on 19 Japanese American students who were removed during World War II. During the ceremony, family members of two of the 19 students were recognized on behalf of their relatives who were removed from SF State.

Also during the ceremony, President awarded a President's Medal to Professor of Biology Frank Bayliss, who founded the Student Enrichment Opportunity office and has helped hundreds of underrepresented students succeed in the sciences.  The award from President followed an award from President Barack Obama, who presented Bayliss in January with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Before presenting the medal, Corrigan commended Bayliss' accomplishments, saying, "you have made it your cause to nurture and preserve the greatest of all natural resources -- the human mind."

Bayliss also awarded a President's Medal to Vice President of University Advancement Lee Blitch, who will retire this summer. He credited Blitch with having, "sparked a renaissance in how sees itself and how others see us."

VIT enrolls more than 2,000 students each year and graduates about 5,000 annually. With nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema and biology to history, broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies -- more than 18,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric and beyond.