CWU Students Honored at 112th Ellensburg Graduation

June 14, 2003

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - "Learning is not a task that you complete, it's a process to be continued," Bob Moawad, founder and chairman of Edge Learning Institute, told graduates participating in the 112th Central Washington University commencement today (Saturday, June 14) at Tomlinson Stadium on the Ellensburg campus.

Moawad, a CWU alumnus from Tacoma, is an internationally-acclaimed leader in human development and change management. He has shared his insights with more than three million people over the past three decades, during more than 8,500 presentations worldwide to audiences ranging from 50 to 23,000 people.

An estimated crowd of 7,000 heard Moawad's address to the CWU Class of 2003, which was peppered with humor and remembrances of his days as a Central undergraduate. He received two degrees from Central: a bachelor's degree in health education in 1964 and a master's degree in physical education in 1967. Moawad was named a distinguished university alumnus in 1994 and was inducted into the CWU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996.

"Success is all about the journey," he said. "There is no destination. It's not when you graduate from the university. It's not when you get a new job, a raise and get your first new car. It's not when you get married. It's not when you have children. It's not when you become a grandparent. We need purpose. What is your vision graduates?"

Moawad offered several suggestions to the graduates, including to continuously try to improve their skills and abilities and to fall in love with their careers.

"If you fall in love with what you do, work will be a beautiful four-letter word," he said. "You'll never have a 'job.'"

Moawad also cautioned graduates not to be fooled by the "twin thieves that will rob you of today."

"One of them is worrying about yesterday," he said. "The other one is (worrying about) tomorrow, which is nothing more than a promissory note. Today is not the first day in the rest of your life. We live life in day-to-day increments."

Concluding his remarks, which drew a standing ovation, Moawad saluted the graduates by saying, "May the best of your past be the worst of your future."

Nearly 1,100 students participated in Central's graduation ceremony. In all, CWU is awarding 1,836 bachelor's and 253 master's degrees to students who completed their coursework during the 2002-03 academic year.