Adding a family

Never has anything felt like a new beginning for me – until now. This summer will be my first step into the professional world and I carry with me a quiet confidence in my abilities. I am extremely grateful for this experience and I can't help but think again about my parents, who brought me to this country. Without their hard work, sacrifice and encouragement, I doubt I could have made it this far. This weekend has left me awestruck that there are others like me and that they have news experiences similar to mine. I've always felt that my family are the only people I have in my corner. Now I have two families in my corner.

-- Joe Lacdan, Southern Illinois University, San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times