Judson graduates told to 'be a good influence'
Judson University graduate Mayra Hernandez said she is determined to put into practice the message she and fellow graduates were given Saturday during their commencement ceremony in Elgin.
“No matter who you are or what you do, your influence will always be to spread the word of Jesus Christ,” said Hernandez, 27, of Carpentersville.
She was echoing the words of guest speaker Thomas Randall, a missionary and athlete who serves as a director for World Harvest Ministries and chaplain for the Professional Golfers of America (PGA) championship tour.
Altogether, 179 students graduated getting 137 bachelor's degrees and 42 master's degrees. Members of the Judson College classes of 1967 and 1972 were given updated degrees under the institutions' current name. Judson University President Jerry Cain, who will be retiring June 30 after 14 years on the job, received an honorary doctorate.
Thomas, a 1976 graduate of Judson, said he used basketball to spread Christianity throughout the world. He candidly admitted that he didn't shine academically, and that he was scared to death the first time he visited a leprosarium in Taiwan — just four months after becoming a missionary.
Thomas praised NFL quarterback Tim Tebow for being unapologetic about his beliefs. He also warned graduates not to act like Joe Paterno, the former Penn State football coach who became mired in a sexual abuse scandal involving his former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
“(Paterno) said ‘I should have done more,' and he knew it. Don't get caught years later up the road where these folks are saying, ‘I should have done more,'” Thomas said. “Your real influence comes from your faith in Christ and your real ability to influence people through the positive and through faith.”
Graduate Seneca Jermaine Modest of Rockford, who got a bachelor's degree in management and leadership, said Randall's call to influence others by example was a powerful one.
“Going forward in life is not just all about money,” he said. “You always have to contribute, you have to be a good influence.”
As graduates of all ages and background sauntered across the stage to get their degrees, relatives like Olivia Ramirez of Rockford anxiously waited for their loved ones' turn so they could clap and cheer loudly.
Ramirez, 22, said she was immensely proud to see her mother, Josefina Sanchez, graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice management. Her mother first worked at a factory and now as a secretary, and wants to become a juvenile probation officer, Ramirez said.
“She wanted a better job and to provide for her family,” she said. “It wasn't easy, she had to juggle work, school and all of us three kids.”
Others like Erin Brooks of Elgin just wanted to get a degree for personal, not professional, reasons. Brooks, 28, said she is perfectly happy with her job as a hairstylist, despite having just earned a bachelor's in management and leadership. “It's always good to further your education,” she said.
Recently minted with a bachelor's degree in business administration, Steven Janezic of Barrington, said he enjoyed the pomp and circumstance of the graduation. But really, the best part was its brevity, he said. “They had us in and out in two hours, so I was happy,” he said.