Welcome, everyone, to The Care Center Graduation of 2023!
As I stand here before you, a frisson of excitement fills me, knowing that my peers and I have achieved this accomplishment, not only as young women, but also as divinely determined young mothers. It is an honor to be among all of you. I am filled with pride looking at you all and to bear witness to the true strength that we have derived from motherhood.
We are told when we begin this journey that our lives are over. Clearly, that couldn’t be further from the truth. This is only the beginning for us. Thanks to The Care Center’s resources, we are provided with more possibilities to discover new growth. The only things coming to an end are the old versions of ourselves who no longer have any growth to offer. As we shed the skin of our past self, a new self is created within an atmosphere of feminine energy, where “empathetic” has gained a whole new meaning.
When entering The Care Center I was met with the revelation that my presence was immediately noticed. Not only by Sally, our front desk sweetheart, but also by all our female staff and Steve! The presence of The Care Center is a compassion-filled environment that reaches everyone who steps in the doorway, even the babies who fill the hallways with the joyfulness of their existence. The feeling is almost as if it is family-oriented. I have experienced consolation, encouragement, and overall, an aesthetic atmosphere. Because of this, I had the chance, along with every staff member’s commitment and dedication, to create such beautiful friendships. So I encourage you all to step into your true selves and embrace your existence, because we are all unique. The world is always in need of a new authentic presence. I am appreciative for being able to be a part of the community The Care Center has created.
When I began attending The Care Center in February, I knew I had found my kind of people. This is where we can create a village of our own. This is where we can create the community that we desire to thrive in, and our children are a part of it all. That is what makes all the difference! We get a chance to walk both roads ahead of us, the road to success and the road of motherhood, because we can have it all! No one wants to be subjected to feeling as if we are nothing more than mothers. So I am immensely grateful that we get to prove them wrong. I am even more joyous to see my peers here with me, completing this milestone.
Essentially, I want to thank God for making this possible. Thank you to my family for all the tremendous support and love. I want to thank myself for seeing this through and also for going the extra mile to work as a tutor after completing my exams so I could contribute back to The Care Center. Thank you to our teacher, Marjory, for helping me every step of the way, and for all the support you have given me. Thank you to every single person in The Care Center for putting in the time and effort every single day. Because of you all, I will begin attending Bard Microcollege in August. This is more than I ever imagined. My next goal is to achieve my associate’s degree and continuously find new growth in every aspect of myself.
With all of that being said, thank you, and congrats, graduates – we did it!