The Voice

Issue date: 5/24/07 Section: Graduation

Media Credit: Jonathon LeFaive Graduation speaker Adonia Arteaga (right) shakes hands with Board of Trustees Secretary David Rutledge (left). President Larry Whitworth stands in the background.

The thought of standing at a podium and speaking in front of a huge crowd is enough to make many people's hearts race and palms sweat. Adonia Arteaga is no exception.

"How many people would apply to do this, because it's such a scary thing?" Arteaga said about speaking to thousands of people.

Still, she volunteered and was chosen to do just that at the WCC commencement ceremony on May 19.

She said Visual Arts and Technology instructor Dennis Guastella and some of the Student Activities staff encouraged her at the end of the Winter semester to apply to speak at graduation. She said she had to write a short essay and underwent an interview. She was asked about her positive experiences at WCC, her negative experiences if any, her public speaking experience, and what she would say in her speech, she said.

One hour after the interview, Arteaga said she learned she had been selected as the student speaker at the graduation ceremony.

"I was so alarmed that they chose me," Arteaga said.

Deciding on a topic for her speech, something she had considered before the interview, was hard, she said.

Arteaga said she wanted to send a positive message without talking too much about herself.

She said she decided to focus on two main points: the continuous growth of the college and the importance of making a positive impact on your community.

Arteaga said the fact that WCC has continued to thrive and expand even with the state's economy falling apart is significant to her.

"It impressed me. It's kind of always got me looking ahead," she said.

As for improving the community, she explained that she does a lot of volunteer work.

As the vice president of media and relations for Phi Theta Kappa, she said she has had opportunities to fundraise for many charities and organizations. Arteaga, who is graduating from WCC with an associate's degree in graphic design, said she also maintains the website for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life in Ypsilanti and is creating a website for the Hispanic Community and Technical Center in Flint.

Continued...

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