Governor Gregoire Addresses the Washington Scholars Luncheon

April 30, 2008

*As Written*


Good Afternoon, and thank you Jae (Jay Choi {Choy}, Wa. Assn. of Student Councils), for the kind introduction.

And thank you, Ann (Daley, HECB) and Gary, (Kipp, Assn. of WA School Principals) for putting this event together, and St. Martins for providing the venue. I�m also glad to see Terry (Bergeson) here today.

I want to start by congratulating the 147 high school seniors here today from all across Washington for your outstanding academic achievement, community service, and leadership.

Students like Andrew Terrell of Yakima, who received Eisenhower High School's top academic achievement award as a freshman, sophomore and junior�served as captain of the varsity tennis and swimming teams�and who collected thousands of items for area food banks throughout high school....

...Or Laura Cross of Manson, who helped build a health clinic in Mexico�ran her own tap dance business�and constructed a successful robot and bridge in an engineering competition....all while earning a 4.0 GPA�lettering in golf and volley ball�and playing first chair trumpet in the pep band.

Whew! Laura! This makes me tired just saying it!

....Or Johannah Juarez (WORE-Ezz) of Seattle, an outstanding gymnast and member of Ballard's state champion cheer-leading team, National Honor Society officer, and camp counselor who aspires to a career in science.

These are just a few of you � all with similar stories.

I�m glad all of you are getting some financial help. I had a college scholarship so I know how important it is. You richly deserve the help. And it�s an investment we can�t afford not to make.

You are the best and the brightest, and all Washingtonians will need you in the years to come as we maintain our place as a thriving, innovative, state in a global economy.

I don�t know if some of you were able to take part in the Seeds of Compassion event in Seattle earlier this month. The whole purpose of the four days of events was beautifully simple � to talk about and find ways to instill the gift of compassion in all people � with a focus on our smallest children.

I was there to greet and introduce His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and state leader of Tibetans�

�And to talk about our own extensive work to create early learning opportunities for pre-school children, all of which provide fertile ground to plant seeds of compassion.

I could say a lot about my time with the Dalai Lama, but one thing that struck me was how much he enjoys life -- moment-by-moment.

You might be surprised to hear that he is a very funny man, and loves to laugh. In a private meeting with him, I presented him with a certificate making him an honorary citizen of Washington.

He asked me what sort of rights that gave him as an honorary citizen. Not responsibilities � he was quick to say with an impish grin � but rights.

Well -- I joked back � It gives him the right to vote for me!

He thought that was hilarious!

The Dalai Lama has a brilliant, educated mind, but he also has the genuine presence and friendliness we mostly associate with small children. When he listens to you, he really listens � as if he�s hearing what you have to say for the first time.

He clearly enjoys every moment despite a life that has been filled with sadnesses, setbacks and challenges.

Here is a man who hasn�t seen his homeland since 1959, when he was forced into exile, and who must lead a people torn by conflict. And the Dalai Lama leads with one underlying principle.

No violence � ever -- under any circumstances. As his own religion teaches � �Love cannot come from hate. Love can come only from love.�

While I don�t share the Dalai Lama�s religion, I do cherish the same principle in my own faith, and I do admire his simple, humble humanity � his commitment to be of service to others in his daily life. This is the practice of compassion.

And service to others is what I�d like to talk about today. I�m very aware that for you, I might be �preaching to the choir.� You are where you are today partly because you�re committed to serving your fellow human beings.

To me, service is more than a word -- and it�s much more than simply a �to-do� list of things like volunteering at the Rape Crisis Center or working at the Food Bank. Those things are what it�s all about, but they are the results of service.

To me, service is a state of mind. It is the reason to get out of bed in the morning and get going. It is our very purpose as human beings.

For me right now, it is to lead the State of Washington in a way that makes room at the kitchen table for everybody � children and senior citizens -- businessmen and poor people, students and teachers � environmentalists and developers � dreamers and doers -- and then finding the right recipes so everybody can be fed.

For me, a life of service begins by reminding myself that while the pursuit of material wealth can be a good thing -- it is by far not the only thing.

Ben Franklin considered pursuit of fortune and fame inseparable from serving others. He always said that he would rather be remembered for what he did for his fellow humans than as somebody who died rich.

Because what is real wealth?

Is real wealth a million dollar house with a huge mortgage to pay, or is it a circle of dear friends you can love, and enjoy, and rely on?

Is it a big flat-screen TV, or is it your ability to read a good book and the joy you get from learning?

Is real wealth a Caribbean vacation you might one day take, or is it the children you might one day have?

Is it that high-powered job, or is it the sincere thanks you receive each week from people with disabilities who you take out on outings they delight in?

You know what?

Here�s some good news. It doesn�t have to be either/or. It can be both.

We can seek and enjoy the material things of life. That�s just being human.

But experience tells us that without a life also committed to serving our family, our friends, our community, and our world � the material things by themselves can be hollow.

So I applaud the service ethic of you 147 young people. And I am grateful to your families and mentors, whose values got you where you are today.

I respect that you scored well on your academic tests. It took a lot of hard work to get there.

I am pleased that you have taken on the mantle of leadership. That quality is so important to the fabric of our communities.

But I am truly grateful that service to others is something you already value -- at a very young age.

You will lead richer, happier lives because of it, and so will the many people, communities, and organizations you touch in the years to come.

Congratulations! -- and let me offer you an old Irish blessing to take with you.

May the road rise to meet you;

May the sun shine warmly on your face;

May the rain fall softly on your fields;

And may the wind be always at your back.

Thank You