Good afternoon. Parents, educators, Mr. Myers, members of the JLW and most importantly, 2003 High School Volunteer Award Recipients. I am honored to be here in your presence. Without question, your accomplishments are many and impressive. You come from different schools, different communities, and each have unique qualities and talents that set you apart individually from each other and from your peers. Yet, a common thread woven through all of you exists.

The tie that binds you are your seeds of greatness borne out through your volunteering experiences. The qualities essential to a volunteer you all share:

Passion. Compassion. Service. Generosity. Selflessness. Humility. Kindness. Commitment.

"We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say 'It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.' Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes."

Fred Rogers said that. Many of you may remember Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood from your childhood, as I do mine. Fred Rogers was a cultural icon, yet he exemplified modesty, kindness, commitment and passion. He was the ultimate humanitarian and servant. In my search for an appropriate topic to speak to you about today, in a post- combat situation in Iraq, a world where the threat of terrorism may become a household commodity, and where high school seniors in suburban Chicago are facing criminal charges for hazing juniors - it would be far too easy to find a topic invoking pessimism where volunteer efforts in this world are needed more than ever. But for this occasion, to honor you who inspire all of us, I looked for something which would hopefully instill even deeper inspiration. I turned to Fred Rogers, a Pittsburgh native, an ordained minister, who passed away in February of this year.

Fred Rogers hated television. That’s why he went into it. He believed anyone in the media was a servant, and he wanted to find a way to use television to be a nurture to those who would watch and listen.

Not quite two years ago, Fred Rogers gave a commencement speech to the graduating class of Marquette University. I want to share with you a few excerpts from that speech, as I believe it could very appropriately have served as a speech to a room full of extraordinary persons called volunteers such as yourselves.

“For a long time, I wondered why I felt like bowing when people showed their appreciation for the work that I’ve been privileged to do. What I’ve come to understand is that we who bow are probably - whether we know it or not - acknowledging the presence of the eternal: we’re bowing to the eternal in our neighbor. You see, I believe that appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what’s best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what God does. So, in loving and appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something truly sacred.

I wonder if you’ve heard what happened at the Seattle Special Olympics a few years ago? For the 100 yard dash there were nine contestants, all of them so-called physically or mentally disabled. All nine of them assembled at the starting line; and, at the start of the gun they took off - but one little boy stumbled and fell and hurt his knee and began to cry. The other eight children heard the boy crying. They slowed down, turned around, saw the boy and ran back to him - every one of them ran back to him.

One little girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed the boy and said, “This will make it better.” The little boy got up, and he and the rest of the runners linked their arms together and joyfully walked to the finish line. They all finished the race at the same time. And when they did, everyone in the stadium stood up and clapped and whistled and cheered for a long, long time. People who were there are still telling the story with obvious delight. And you know why, because deep down, we know that what matters in this life is much more than winning for ourselves. What really matters is helping others win, too, even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then. There’s a part of all of us that longs to know that even what’s weakest about us can ultimately count for something good.

Beside my chair in my office is a framed piece of calligraphy with a sentence from Saint Expurey’s book “Le Petit Prince” (The Little Prince). It reads: “L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.” “What is essential is invisible to the eye.” I feel the closer we get to know and living the truth of that sentence, the closer we get to wisdom.

You don’t ever have to do anything sensational in order to love or to be loved. The real drama of life (that which matters most) is rarely center stage or in the spotlight. In fact, it has nothing to do with IQ’s and honors and the fancy outsides of life. What really nourishes our souls is knowing that we can be trusted, that we never have to fear the truth, that the foundation of our very being is good stuff.”

Fred Rogers’ wisdom reminds all of us that that which is essential is invisible. Your service, dedication and passion for volunteering - for which we honor you today - is a testament to that wisdom. Congratulations.