I am honored that you have chosen me and overjoyed to now see the smiles of the CNMI’s future leaders.
I salute and extend my heart-felt congratulations to the Class of 2010. What an accomplishment you have achieved!
You know, in a way, we should also congratulate all of your parents and guardians.
After all, they have stood by you for eighteen memorable and some not so memorable years, caring, and supporting you through thick and thin.
Today, it pays off as we recognize the accomplishment of these outstanding graduates.
Let’s give the parents and guardians a round of applause.
Last, but definitely not least, I would like to acknowledge all of the teachers for their outstanding contributions in providing the graduates with the academic foundation necessary to start their life or further their education.
Without them, today’s graduation ceremony would not be possible.
For doing a wonderful and outstanding job, let’s give them a round of applause.
To the graduating class, now that you are about to get your diploma, the next big question is “What do I do next?”
Each one of you will take a different path in life.
Some of you will want to start your career and get a job.
Others will go on to further their education at a college or university.
One path that I highly advise not to take is hanging around the house and living off of mom and dad.
Whatever you choose to do, I encourage you to be productive.
Graduating high school means that you have successfully passed the first hurdle to a successful life in the future, but keep in mind that you still have many more hurdles to overcome.
As you deliberate upon where you are headed, I would like to suggest that you consider the following:
• I encourage each one of you to continue on with your education and attain a college degree. Getting a college degree establishes a strong foundation on which you will be able to launch your career. In today’s standards, open positions, salary raises, and job promotions are given priority to those with college degrees. In the long run, advancing your education will prove to be beneficial.
• If you are not interested in further schooling, it is only appropriate that you go out and seek a job. I know that the job market is in bad shape, but if you are able to work, then work. In my personal opinion, a person really does not need to have a college education to be successful and to live a happy life. A college degree may prove beneficial, but it is not a prerequisite that will guarantee success. I know of many individuals who are successful businessmen throughout Micronesia including here in our islands, who have only finished high school. They achieved their success through hard work, dedication to their job, and willingness to work from the bottom, up.
After diligently working for so many dedicated years, they have climbed up the corporate ladder to the point of being in charge of a successful business or outright owning a business. So remember, success is not reserved for the smartest people, nor for people who have graduated from the most prestigious universities. Success is available to anyone who will do whatever it takes to be successful through hard work, motivation, dedication, perseverance, and the ability to accept and adapt to change.
My being here today is a living example of success.
Here I am, born and raised on the island, coming from a less fortunate family, with my father as a mechanic, and a mother who stayed home in order to tend to 12 kids.
We lived off my father’s salary, which was at the time $2.50 per hour. With no car, my dad had to hitch a ride with his friend everyday to and from work.
I remember very clearly, every time I would ask my parents for money, their response was always, “We don’t have money for that.”
As I grew up, I began to realize that the way out of my predicament was to excel in school, which I did.
I told myself that the only way for me to really have a future was to get a good education.
I graduated high school and was the first in my family to graduate from college.
By then I had already accomplished a lot.
But my goal in life was always to have a business and I figured out that the way to getting there was to be patient and acquire as much working experience in different fields.
Thus, I went from working for the government, to working with the bank, to working for a large retail store that catered to tourism, to now owning my own businesses.
The major turning point in my life was when I completed and won the opportunity to own the local McDonald’s franchise here on Saipan.
McDonald’s is one of the most difficult and sought-after businesses to get into.
Thousands of people throughout the United States of America, as I speak, are on the waiting list, sometimes for years, just to get the opportunity to get the franchise.
But only a select few get the opportunity to become owners.
I had the opportunity to look at other businesses to get into but I decided on McDonald’s not only because it’s a family-oriented type of business but also because the company is an ever-changing company.
It is the company that moves with the time, constantly changing and adapting to the market it serves.
This excited me because from my many years as a banker, I noticed that those companies that did not adapt to changes well were left behind, and eventually they died.
It’s been now 17 years since I first opened McDonalds and we are still here.
My company is positioned to take our community into the future for many, many years to come.
Speaking of the future, our island is currently undergoing dramatic changes, both socially and economically.
Some for the better, some for the worse.
Regardless, changes are occurring and it is up to us to adapt and to work together to position our ourselves toward a better future.
Today, our economy is in a difficult situation.
But I believe that with the help of these young graduates, we will be able to bounce back and create a stronger commonwealth.
Class of 2010, with your help, we will get out of this mess that we are currently in through hard work, dedication, commitment, and most importantly, the ability to embrace change.
Although changing the things that we normally do is painful, at times it is the only way that we can move forward as we strive for a better commonwealth.
The winds of change are taking place as I speak today.
I remain hopeful and confident that we will all be SOARING WITH THE WINDS OF CHANGE in the years to come.
I can’t help but stress the necessity of embracing change for it is absolutely critical to positioning our community for a brighter and prosperous future.
As a final note, I have one request to ask some of you.
For those of you who will be going off-island to get your college degree and work experience — after you have gained from your off-island experiences, I urge you to come home with your newfound talents and help us build a better commonwealth.
We need all the help we can get.
Always remember that the Northern Mariana Islands is your home.
Thank you and may God bless you all.
JOE AYUYU
President and Owner
McDonald’s Saipan
