Speeches by Secretary Elaine L. Chao

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As Prepared

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Washington-Lee High School Graduation Ceremony
Arlington, Virginia
June 17, 2002

Thank you, Principal Spraggins, for that warm introduction.

I’m delighted to be here with you tonight. I want to say a few special words about my friend, Susan Thomas. Susan, as you know, is the special needs educator at Washington-Lee.

She and my husband are also good friends. Susan and Craig are from Wyoming. My husband and I are from Kentucky.

In the years that I’ve known Susan, she’s always talking about her students. She loves you all and cares deeply about this school. She’s a great Ambassador for Washington-Lee and you are lucky to have her!

You know, when I was graduating from high school, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do in life much less even imagine that one day I would be in the President’s cabinet.

Looking back, people probably thought I was kind of quiet. My parents didn’t allow me to date—seriously! I never went to my senior prom—not that I didn’t want to—no one asked!

I wasn’t part of any popular crowd. I stressed over my looks, clothing and schoolwork. I was kind of scared, but excited as well, about leaving home and going to college.

To backtrack a bit, as you’ve heard, my family and I are immigrants to this country. We are Americans of Chinese ancestry. I was born in Asia and when I was five years old, my father left Asia to come to America.

He was here alone in America for three years before he was able to bring my mother and me to this country.

When I first arrived in America, I didn’t speak any English. Third grade can be challenging when you don’t speak the language and have no friends. And, not everyone was nice to me.

What gave me the confidence to go through this period was the support of my family. Growing up, my parents were the most important influence in my life. My parents gave my sisters and me a stable foundation of love, determination and optimism for the future.

They didn’t hug me every day or tell me they loved me. That was not our Asian way. But, I always knew they loved me by the way they sacrificed and took care of me. Frankly, I didn’t really care what other people thought of me as long as my family thought I did well.

Eventually, my family and I learned to adapt to American customs—like getting used to eating big chunks of meat stuck between pieces of bread; tomato sauce on cheese, on spaghetti, on meat; and grilled cheese sandwiches, to name a few unfamiliar foods.

We learned to look people in the eye (a sign of disrespect in Asia) and shake hands firmly. We learned to say “good morning” and “hi” and “thank you” and smile at strangers. In Asia, we didn’t speak to or smile at strangers.

We made new friends—all the while trying to retain our heritage and culture.

And, the assimilation process continues through a lifetime. Even by the time I went away to college, I didn’t know how to use a knife and fork properly. After all, I always went home for lunch and we always had Chinese food and used chopsticks.

After college, I applied to the Harvard Business School, got in fortunately, and it was among the best two years of my life.

After business school, my first job was in banking. After working for three years, I applied for a White House Fellowship, which allowed me to observe the inner workings of our federal government for a year. This is something not many other Asian Americans had a chance to do.

After the Fellowship, I returned to banking. Two years later, I was back in Washington as the deputy maritime administrator working for then Secretary of Transportation Elizabeth Dole. In those days, if I could have caught a glimpse of the Secretary—it was a big deal!

In seven years, I had moved five times from coast to coast. There were some boxes I never even unpacked during some of these moves because I was so busy.

When the first President Bush was elected, I was appointed the number two person in the U.S. Department of Transportation, one of the youngest deputy secretaries ever named.

From there, I moved on to be the first Asian American Director of the Peace Corps.

After the Peace Corps, I was recruited to lead one of America’s major nonprofit charitable institutions, United Way of America, during a critical and turbulent period in its history.

Throughout my career, I was often the first Asian American, the first female or the youngest person to have occupied the position. I didn’t have any special mentors or access to any special connections.

There were many who helped but basically I did it on my own. And, because I made my own way, I appreciate so much every opportunity I’ve received.

I guess what I’m trying to say by relaying the career moves in my life, is that America is a great country. I never expected my life to turn out the way it did. For the longest time, I was so worried that I would not be able to survive in America. I wanted to take care of my family since I was the oldest daughter and make my parents proud.

In the course of discovering my own interests and having the courage to explore new adventures, I found that my life took pathways that I did not know existed.

I thank my parents for imbuing me with a strong set of core values and a belief in the limitless possibilities of this country. They imbued their daughters with the sense that we are NOT victims—we are responsible for shaping our own destiny.

Tonight, I’m here to tell you that you can achieve or be anything you want in your life if you are willing to get a good education, constantly try new things, work hard, believe in something bigger than yourself, and never give up.

You will make mistakes. But the important thing to remember is that, unlike other countries, America is a land of second chances. If you stumble, pick yourself up and keep going. Tomorrow is a new day.

You are already very blessed in that you have received a great education, and most of you have the support, love and encouragement of your teachers, administrators, friends and families.

There’s no more precious gift in life than that.

I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunities that I’ve had. Along the way, I have married a wonderful man. He’s Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Not only is he smart and principled, he does the cooking and laundry as well!

As I’ve advanced in my career, I always remember the hardships and sacrifices my parents made to help me become who I am today. I’ll never forget those who were kind enough to help me along the way. I hope the challenges and obstacles I’ve faced have helped to make me a more effective and better leader.

Since yesterday was Father’s Day, let me honor my father by sharing with you some invaluable advice that he gave me:

• Be kind and always remember to help others.
• Believe in something bigger than yourself.
• Be a credit to your community.
• Have integrity.
• Never give up.

Finally, let me say in closing, that our world was forever changed when our country was attacked on September 11^th. The President is providing strong and determined leadership in fighting the war on terror and protecting our people at home. You will live and work in an increasingly international and diverse world. America will need your energy and your goodness.

Good luck, graduates. Our hearts and spirits are with you as you make your way in the world. You’ve got a great future. Believe it!

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