Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Dec. 19, 2016) – Commencement keynote speaker State Rep. Eddie Lucio III passed along some good habits on how to become successful to Texas Southmost College (TSC) graduates during the fall 2016 commencement ceremony on Dec. 17, 2016 at the Jacob Brown Memorial Auditorium.
Lucio referenced successful personalities such as President Obama, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali, as well as daily rituals that he has implemented in his life to be successful.
“If you implement these things in your life, you can pretty much achieve anything you want,” Lucio said. “You have to surround yourself with people who are positive. Seek out mentors, that’s what I did.”
“Great performers take their health very seriously, too. President Obama worked out six days a week. If you focus on your health, that will pay tremendous dividends,” he added. “Very successful people are relentless. They do not get discouraged. I grew up watching Michael Jordan and he was relentless.”
Lucio shared the ritual he follows the most. He advised TSC graduates to believe in themselves and not be afraid of failure. On the contrary, he encouraged them to embrace moments of failure and to learn from their mistakes.
“You have to adopt rituals that you follow on a daily basis. I listen to 30 minutes of instructional material and read at least 10 pages of a good book every day,” Lucio said. “It’s incredible what it does to your mindset. Another habit of successful people is that they are very tough and you have to develop resilience to get through the tough times because you will fail. Don’t be afraid to fail. You also have to believe in yourself. There was no one in sports that believed in himself more than Muhammad Ali. If you learn to believe in yourself, you will accomplish more.”
Among those graduates listening to Lucio’s message and celebrating commencement was medical office management major Abdiel Ramírez, who received a job offer from a local doctor’s office prior to graduation.
“TSC was an opportunity for self-growth,” Ramírez said. “It gave me a platform to grow my personality and academics. My instructors were there with me the whole way to support me when different situations arose. It was nice to finally finish something I really like doing, which is medical office management.”
The graduating class of fall 2016 marked the seventh commencement ceremony since TSC re-opened in fall 2013.
“Graduation is a day that we can enjoy the fruits of our work,” TSC Board of Trustees Chairwoman Adela Garza said. “We volunteer as board members and to see the families, their kids and the graduates come together during commencement is wonderful. We’re looking forward to many more graduations in the future by continuing our work at TSC and providing our community with educational opportunities that will improve their lives.”
