LIMESTONE, Maine — Graduation at the Loring Job Corps Center not only featured tremendous speeches from former students — Governor Paul LePage made the trip to Limestone on March 21 to speak at the ceremony.
Governor LePage explained that he’s spoken at various commencement ceremonies for different levels of academia, but he felt particularly good about speaking at the Loring Job Corps graduation last Friday.
“Because these young people have all gone through a very difficult time in their early lives, and they’ve taken courage, they’ve identified themselves, they’ve committed themselves and they’re succeeding,” the governor described. “Today is their day, and they should be proud of themselves.”
While many of the students who receive education and training do come from stressful circumstances, LePage himself had to overcome significant challenges in his youth.
Born into a very large family of 13 brothers and four sisters, LePage told the graduates that he ran away from home at 11.
“I understand what it’s like to be on the streets with nowhere to go,” he said.
But fortunately, a young LePage found mentors who became like family, and one gentleman the 11-year-old met on the street introduced him to a simple and meaningful saying of ten 10-letter words: if it is to be, it is up to me.
“Each and every one of you have already demonstrated that if you’re going to succeed, it’s up to you — and you’re already doing it,” he told the graduates. “Just don’t forget that anything you do in life — if it is to be, you have to make it happen … stay strong, because you can be anybody you want to be.”
“You’re starting a new life today,” the governor added. “There is not a thing you can’t accomplish if you put your mind to it, strive, and set the goals higher than you can achieve — because that’s how you achieve.”
The governor wished the first graduating class of the Loring Job Corps Center for 2014 success and prosperity with their new skills.
The student speaker for the LJCC, Brendan Griffith, voted by his peers to speak at graduation, had similar positive messages for his fellow graduates and many thanks to the LJCC staff and faculty.
“Life here has changed quite a bit since I first walked through the doors. I had nowhere to go, and the LJCC gave me a family and home I never thought I would have,” Griffith said. “Without this place, I honestly would probably be dead. I hope the next group of students who come through here will be accepted with the same open arms that I have.”
“This place, people and friends will always be in my heart,” he added. “The LJCC has changed me for the better, and I hope that for my fellow graduates, it has done the same; I will truly miss this place.”
Former students of the LJCC Lasanna and Lossene Dorleh returned to the center on their one-year-anniversary of their graduation and the locally famous twins were clearly happy to be back at their old “stomping grounds.”
The Dorleh siblings are currently enrolled in the nursing program at Northern Maine Community College, and were asked to address the graduation assembly.
While they clearly weren’t interested in being “preachy,” they did have five tips for the graduates:
• First, don’t look for “the way” in life — create the way.
“For us, we knew there was something out there for us. We didn’t ask anybody ‘Can we come (to LJCC), should we come?’ we applied and said ‘I want to come.’” Lasanna stated.
• Second, say “yes” to opportunity.
“A lot of people always think they have no opportunities in life — you do,” Lassana said. “It comes with hard work, so don’t be afraid of the hard work and say ‘yes’ to the opportunities.”
• Third, follow your instincts.
“Your heart will always lead you in the right way; never be afraid to say ‘I want to do this,’” Lossene said. “Our instincts were to come to Loring Job Corps Center to better ourselves, and that’s what we did.”
• The fourth tip was a little more blunt.
“If you guys don’t follow any of the rules or suggestions that we tried to give, follow this,” Lassana asked the graduates. “Don’t be a jerk.”
“If you don’t like somebody, find something that’s good in them,” he explained. “You never know who might be that great person, and if you find a door open for you, hold it open for someone else.”
• And finally, they urged the grads not to be afraid of future learning.
Lassana described that when it was time for them to move on from the LJCC, the brothers had two choices in front of them. They could continue training for their LPN at a different Job Corps center, which would be easy for them, or they could try to get into the nursing program at NMCC — which is hard.
“I remember speaking with (Loring Job Corps Center Director Kristie Moir), and she told us ‘why not the RN program? Why not more money, why not harder work?’ And at the end of the day, we’ll be a success — and better for it,” he described. “And I remember talking with my brother about that, I remember saying ‘staying in Maine for two more years? I told myself ‘No — I can’t do that.’ But I remembered her encouragement, and we stayed here.”
The brothers didn’t get into the nursing program the first time they applied, but they got in the second year.
In closing, the twins had one last statement they said in unison.
“When life throws you punches, don’t say ‘why me?’ — but ‘Try me!’”
