Longtime Virginia Western Community College President Robert Sandel delivered to graduates Friday the ABCs of life advice that he learned during a 50-year career in education.
Sandel said he is 鈥済raduating to retirement鈥 at the end of June, after starting as president of the 麻花视频 community college in 2001. He led one last procession of about 550 graduating students into Berglund Center for the college鈥檚 commencement ceremony Friday evening.
鈥淎ll those years in education have given me some credence in giving advice and dispensing wisdom to work with all types of people,鈥 Sandel said. 鈥淢ainly in how to enjoy what you do each and every day. I learned these the hard way.鈥
He went on to list, one letter at a time, an alphabet鈥檚 worth of advice, beginning with attitude and appreciation, and ending with 鈥済et some Z鈥檚.鈥
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鈥淲hen you made the choice to work hard and to open doors at Virginia Western, you started the growth process,鈥 Sandel said. 鈥淲hen you chose to stay, regardless of the challenges ahead of you, you continued that process.鈥
Graduates will go on to pursue health and safety roles, technology and engineering jobs, business, culinary, arts, social work and a variety of other opportunities, he said.
鈥淣o matter what your role, our region will be better for it because you were willing to improve yourselves with hard work, persistence and grit to make it happen through education,鈥 he said.
Thousands of friends, family members and other supporters cheered on the graduating class. People wore 鈥淚 heart Dr. Sandel鈥 buttons on their lapels, and student speaker Onaca Umak turned from the podium to laud the outgoing president.
鈥淭hank you for all you have done for this college,鈥 Umak said. 鈥淵ou will be missed dearly.鈥
Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System David Dor茅 said Sandel has been known as the dean of community college presidents. Sandel is the longest-tenured community college president in the state.
鈥淒r. Sandel realized the importance of partnering with business and industry to move the college and the 麻花视频 region forward together,鈥 Dor茅 said. 鈥淚n many ways, Dr. Sandel is the second founder of Virginia Western because of the significant transformation of the college that took place under his leadership over the past quarter century. That is older than some of our graduates.鈥
Sandel said school staff, faculty and administration work hard to help students open the doors to opportunity.
鈥淚鈥檓 so proud of all of you,鈥 Sandel said. 鈥淕o on through that door and be successful.鈥
