Cllr. Cooper said: “Once upon a time, Theresa Leigh-Sherman had a dream; and sculpted it to fill empty spaces within Liberia’s administrative landscape”. He said nearly four decades later, the dream presents itself as the Community College and Secretarial School. “From the first 22 students, you have grown to deliver over 5,000 graduates” he said. The former Legal Luminary of the presidency described the graduates as the spines for corporate executives, international organizations, government leaders, and heads of state; as some have earned bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees. He praised some of them for their competence, efficiency, and trustworthiness.
“Today, you graduates join that elite group; through your entry into a hi-tech global village; a world filled with technological advances never seen before” – he noted. He said – “These days, one doesn’t even have to type; you speak to computers, and the computers type what you said; cars are designed to move without drivers; can find their own parking spaces, and park themselves without a driver lifting a finger”.
Cllr. Cooper recalled that: “A spaceship set in motion 12 years ago by the Americans has traveled into space and landed, just as planned, on a moving comet over 400 million miles away. Your smart phone through the internet can Google any bit of information you want. Telephones you carry can track your location, tell how many steps you take in a day, and wake you up in the morning. Mobile money works! You know it”. He however alluded to scientists’ revelation just this week that from examining your telephone they can tell your favorite foods, favorite drinks, and favorite perfume, your habits - from molecules you leave on your telephone. According to him, Facebook puts your ‘business in the street’ - reveals your friends and family; tells you - your likes and dislikes. Challenging the graduating class he cautioned: “As you step out of this Community College, what will you do next? What choices will you make? The choices are yours. So, let’s talk”.
Focusing on ‘CHOICES’, he called on the graduates to begin by taking stock in terms of what they have learned? What have they learned about themselves during their own lifetime? He said by observing, he had learned something about each of graduates. He likened them to debate between Hillary Clinton - when Donald Trump accused her of using performance drugs during the recent American presidential debates. Cllr. Cooper said Hillary replied that the ‘performance drug’ she used was “preparation”.
He said each one of you knows the value of preparation; adding he tries never to participate in a meeting without being prepared – without doing his homework, without reading the relevant document, or studying the subject matter. Preparation, he stressed – “Gives you an advantage; you could have chosen to do anything or be anywhere. Yet, you chose to prepare yourselves. You chose to attend this college, this school. Clearly, you are ambitious. You want to shine. You want to lead. So, you are preparing yourselves. And you are smart for doing so”.
In a note of caution to the graduates, he said: “If you don’t use your head; your body will suffer.” He called on the graduates to continue to develop their most valuable asset – their head, brain; noting the information you put into your brain makes the difference. He argued “It is not so much your diploma or certificate – because the paper is less important than the knowledge you gain. In life, you are assessed by what you know and do. Continue to learn because with knowledge, integrity, and discipline, you will move”.
On a consoling note, he observed: “You could choose a positive or negative view of your country, your government, and your world. You could choose to help make Liberia better or join a complacent, complaining chorus that sees only the bad. Think positively. Choose to be Liberia’s winners. Always take a keen interest in what goes on around you. It affects you. The learned legal wit admonished the graduates to be mindful that: “In less than a year, they will have ballot choices for Liberia’s leadership – urging them to choose leaders who encourage national unity, foster peace, and promote development; especially leaders with workable plans to really uplift our people”. He said we must choose leaders not because of where they come from; but because of where they can take this Nation - particularly leaders interested in government service for the people’s well-being; not for their personal gain. Cllr. Cooper urged them to choose not to be a faceless, unknown traveler in life’s journey; but to leave their stamp on this world to impact others positively.
He reminded the graduates about historical examples that Liberians have set that inspired African independence; signed the original Charter in 1945 that gave birth to the United Nations; co-led the founding of the Organization of African Unity (now the AU); conceived the idea of the African Development Bank; conserved West Africa’s largest patch of tropical rainforests; rallied the world to defeat Ebola, etc. He paid tribute to - James Skirving Smith - Liberia’s 6th President and first black person to graduate from medical school in the USA; Martin Henry Freeman – President of Liberia College (predecessor of the University of Liberia) who became the first black college professor in America; Samuel David Ferguson - First Black Bishop of the Episcopal Church of America; founder of Cuttington College (now Cuttington University).
He told the graduates that “Within each of them lies the zeal to make their name. Show that zeal and act with it. You have the brains. You are disciplined. Be adventurous! You don’t have to be shy or afraid to try and fail. There is no one alive who has succeeded at everything tried. If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again - as both success and failure offer lessons to be learned.