MSU President Dr. Steven Shirley Keynote Speaker

Life is always about balance. How to achieve the goals we set out for ourselves and yet manage to maintain the balance of a full-time job, a family and of course life in general. For the spring of 2025 graduates of the Community College of the Air Force, there was a message that was heard time and again…thank you to each graduate who put in the extra time and effort to complete their degrees. Thank you to the many family members in attendance who Col Schlabach recognized as part of the team that helped out. “Sometimes it takes a kick in the pants to get things done, you know a little tough love. That’s what it took from Monica (Col Schlabach’s spouse), and I imagine that a lot of your got some of that rough love as well. From families, supervisors and fellow Airmen who helped these graduates get here, thank you. To do this is to take that extra step and go a little farther. To challenge yourself to get where you are today and that’s hard. And then after this you look down the road a little further. What you accomplished may have seemed insurmountable, but here you are today. Whatever that next is may to seem insurmountable, but you won’t know unless you try…I challenge each of you to at least try.”
Next to step to the podium was Dr. Steven Shirley, President of Minot State University. “There is no question that your sacrifices, and those or your family are both considerable and substantial” began Dr. Shirley “your service is cherished by all of us in the Minot community and undoubtedly by all Americans. Thank you for that service and that sacrifice.”
Dr. Shirley went on to talk in depth about the strong partnership, over 6 decades in the making, between Minot Air Force Base and Minot State University “there is no doubt in my mind that we are stronger together because of our partnership.”
“Today is an opportunity for us to gather together an recognize student achievement, and so I am please being here and joining in this celebratory day. The Community College of the Air Force has a deep and rich history in nation dating back 55 years to very humble beginnings in the early 1970’s.”
The Community College of the Air Force has granted over 600,000 degrees according to Dr. Shirley “and this has certainly helped with the mission readiness of our U.S. Air Force. The over ½ of a million graduates, including those of your who celebrate today play a vital role in our country. A most sincere congratulations to each of you.”
The graduation ceremony included the presentation of degrees by Col Lamarand and Col Schlabach; the awarding of the Pitsenbarger Award to SSgt RoShanda Durant, and degree conferral and closing remarks of congratulation by Col Lamarand. “You had to start at some point in your continued education process. It was a decision you made to give your lives to go further. Even if that additional step and that path was not entirely clear, as Robert Frost talked about taking that step on that path that was less traveled gave you the opportunity to go further. My challenge to each of the graduates today is to always challenge yourself to go further and to constantly seek and take advantage of opportunities when and where you see them.”