PARK HILLS, MO – Congressman Jason Smith delivered the commencement address to Central Methodist University Graduates on Saturday where he shared his personal experiences from his time in college to becoming a Member of Congress.
“I was honored to be invited to address this outstanding group of graduates,” said Congressman Smith. “I know how hard it is to work your way through school and I applaud the graduates who were able to do that. Every one of them has a lot to be proud of.”
In his speech, Smith recounted his employers in college. His day job was in the Wal-Mart sporting goods department, and his second job was as a night desk clerk at the Hampton Inn.
“I took the night desk job, 11 pm to 7 am, stayed awake all night and when all of my tasks were finished, I would study,” said Congressman Smith.
Smith also recognized the families and applauded the sacrifices made by both graduates and the people who supported their journey.
“Not only have you sacrificed time, but many of you have also taken on a huge financial responsibility as well – student loans,” said Congressman Smith adding, “I’m right there with you.”
On his way out, Smith stopped to offer to take a photo of a graduate and her family.
“This is a special day and you all need to be in the picture because I’m sure you all played a part in getting her here,” said Congressman Smith.
CMU offers classes on the Mineral Area College campus where they provide students with an opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degrees. Students who graduated on Saturday received their baccalaureate in fields such as accounting, education and nursing.
