Tony Overman/The Olympian
Adolfo Ebio raises his diploma toward his family during Saint Martin's College graduation ceremonies Saturday. Ebio, 45, a grandfather and retired Army officer from Dededo, Guam, is the first member of his family to receive a four-year degree.

St. Martin's grads look to future

St. Martin's alumnus: 'Don't sell your soul for the highest stock option'

LIONA TANNESEN, THE OLYMPIAN

LACEY -- Thirty years ago, speaker Gary Gerst was sitting in the same place as the soon-to-be graduates at Saint Martin's College on Saturday, May 12, 2001.

"I remember what it felt like to this day," said Gerst, an Olympia High School teacher who was valedictorian of the class of 1971. "I'm still very glad to be a graduate of Saint Martin's.

"I want you to know how big this is."

Nearly 400 men and women in black robes and black mortarboards were soon to be the 106th class to graduate from Saint Martin's.

Together, the students spent more than 26,000 hours seated in classes -- not counting labs -- and between $6 million and $9 million to earn their degrees, Gerst said.

More than half of the students are older than 30.

Women were just starting to attend Saint Martin's when Gerst started.

Students now can take more programs, including computer science.

"When I came here, audiocassettes were just coming out," Gerst said. "There's some things that haven't changed. This school still believes in educating the whole person."

Graduates should do more than earn money; they should contribute to society, Gerst said.

"Don't sell your soul for the highest stock option," Gerst said.

Bring ethics out into the world.

"Remember the camper's motto: Leave it better than you found it," Gerst said.

While graduates marched across the stage, shook hands with college President David Spangler and took their red diplomas, parents and friends clapped, cheered, whistled and hooted.

Graduates and near-graduates bounced two bright beach balls around until they were asked to keep them still until the round of applause at the end of each group of graduates.

Graduate Tariq Adel Al-Asousi of Kuwait danced off the stage with his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.

"It's the greatest day of my life, and it is the best Mother's Day gift I could give her," said Al-Asousi, whose mother didn't fly over from Kuwait.

Thirty years from now, he hopes to be the chief executive officer of an airline and to be a civil pilot.

Family and friends crowded around Jennifer Norby of Lacey after the graduation.

"For me, it's kind of overwhelming to have finished my master's in education," said Norby, who is expecting her first child in July.

Her father, Dwight Saville, said he was excited.

"She put a lot of work into it -- her and her dog," Saville said.

Norby wrote her thesis about animal-assisted therapy and brought the dog into schools.

And where does she expect to be when she reaches the same 30-year mark Gerst just passed?

"Hopefully, I'll still be in the schools teaching," Norby said.

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