Kenosha---First District Congressman Paul Ryan used a fresh life lesson as the basis for his commencement address at Carthage College Sunday.
Ryan’s recent ascent to the position of Speaker of the House last fall came only after he initially rejected the idea. Now he says he likes the job, proving that one shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss opportunities that may not fit the plan.
"The biggest piece of advice that I will give to all of you is this," Ryan said. "Don't worry too much about the plan. Go where you can make a difference. Sometimes fullfillment lies in very unpredictable places."
Ryan joked that the he and the senior class sitting before him had something in common: At the start of the school year, neither knew what they’d be doing by the end of it.
Ryan’s speech was void of political commentary and the reception given Ryan was a warm one.
Carthage President Gregory Woodward set the tone when he said in his introduction that this was a day for people to remove their political hats and park them under their chairs.
Before Ryan's speech, former Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman was given the school's "New Town" award--the top honor that's given each year to a community member.
In brief remarks, Bosman said he was old enough to remember when nothing but park land stood on the Lake Michigan bluff that now houses Carthage. He said the school's impact on Kenosha is immeasurable.
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