SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - In his speech on Saturday at Penn State Schuylkill, Eric Quackenbush, Pottsville, told his fellow classmates that they will no doubt face adversity in pursuing their future goals.
"As we gather on this day to reflect briefly and to celebrate our accomplishments, let us also recall the adversity that has challenged us, both individually and collectively. How we react to adversity defines us as human beings and by learning to overcome our challenges, we become stronger," Quackenbush, 31, an administration of justice bachelor of science graduate, said.
He was the student speaker at commencement ceremonies which were held in the campus gymnasium before a crowd of more than 300.
"Forty-six students completed their degrees this spring at Penn State Schuylkill. Fifty-five students are planning to participate in commencement. This includes students who completed their studies either in fall 2013, spring 2014 or summer 2014," Mary J. Sacavage, campus director of continuing education and university relations, said.
The graduates included twins Aaron and Daniel Burger, Pine Grove. As teenagers, they were fascinated by video game graphics and used their home computer to try to develop their own.
In recent years, they've become animators who produce videos that they post on YouTube. The 22-year-old twins have a brand name, "Nevercake," and they do commissions.
"We'd really like to be self-sufficient through the Internet," Aaron said Saturday morning, standing in a hallway in the classroom building at Penn State Schuylkill a half hour before commencement ceremonies Saturday.
His brother, Daniel, was standing next to him. Both share the same shoulder-length hair style, similar goatees and studied the same major, information sciences and technology.
The 2010 Pine Grove Area High School graduates received their bachelor of science degrees Saturday. Now they're going to seek out careers in computers, since wonders of the information age continue to encourage individuals and businesses to explore the world with their fingertips.
"We're trying to earn some money through the Internet by making YouTube videos. We have almost 10,000 subscribers. He does animation," Aaron said of his brother.
"Digital animation," Daniel said.
"I do video editing, and I write the scripts. And we're starting to make flash games," Aaron said.
Now that they've turned their tassels, they said they may be looking for local jobs until they can find a way to achieve their American dream.
"I'd like to make lots of money on the Internet and wake up whenever I want to," Aaron said.
"I want the same thing, just being able to do what I want," Daniel said.
The keynote speaker, Christian M. M. Brady of State College, dean of Schreyer Honors College at The Pennsylvania State University, indirectly encouraged the graduates to think outside the box by delivering a unique speech. He had fun talking about the cliches of commencement speeches.
"Graduation is both an ending and a beginning. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. The journey begins with but a single step. The future lies ahead of you. The best is yet to come. Remember, do what you love and love what you do. Keep your eyes on the prize. Spread your wings and fly. Be true to yourself. Always aim for the moon. If you miss, you'll still be among the stars. And will you succeed? Yes, you will, 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed," Brady said, rattling off a collection of cliches.
"These are phrases that, no matter how true, have been worn down through overuse. Of course, the reason that we resort to them at times like graduations or weddings is because there is truth in them. This is a time of great change for you. And the reality of preparing a commencement address is it's actually really difficult to avoid cliches. So, why bother? It's really hard. So I thought I'd try to make your day just that much more memorable and special by offering you the worst commencement address ever," he said.
He began with "an inappropriate misstep," continued with "a few cliches," included "a sports analogy" and ended with "a strong moral point assuring you that the future rests on your shoulders."
While enjoying the playful riff on the mundane nature of such talks, Brady added a personal touch to his 16-minute talk by sharing a story about his son, John William McKenzie "Mack" Brady, who suffered a blood infection and died Dec. 31, 2012, at age 8.
"You have heard it said, perhaps, at more than a few graduations that you should live each day as if it was your last. Don't. Don't live each day as if it were your last," Brady said. "If I knew today was my last, as proud as I am of you all, I would have sent a little video or something and spent the day with the family. My wife and I were glad we didn't know what was Mack's last day because we enjoyed it. We played with him. We did things we were excited about doing. We've taken a lot of comfort from Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote, a very famous quote, 'It is not length of life, but depth.' So live each day, each moment, to its fullest. Live with an intention. Do what you do for a reason. Take advantage of the opportunities that you have in front of you, whether they're opportunities to excel in your career, take a trip or help a person in need. That's it. That's my challenge to you all."