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TH
14 CONVOCATION
Your achievement that we celebrate today is the next milestone on a journey that
began many years ago. Your very first years of schooling, and even before, planted
the seeds of today’s accomplishment. Countless hours of reading, writing, and
studying have led up to this point. And now, you are ready to achieve even greater
things, carrying on the rich tradition of Ganpat University.

I am very grateful to be a part of this moment.
Of course, you didn’t get here completely on your own. Family, friends, spouses,
loved ones, teachers, mentors, and more all played a role. I want to take just a
moment to recognize them and how their support and sacrifice are also being
honored today.
I, of course, bring you greetings from the students, faculty, and staff at Cal Poly
Pomona University.

We are located in the heart of Southern California in the western United States where
we have been considered a leading American university for more than 80 years. I
have the honor of serving as its fifth University president.

I’m here to tell you that Cal Poly Pomona and Ganpat University are two universities
that are very much alike.

Cal Poly Pomona and Ganpat University are both universities that focus on the
“doing” of learning.
At Cal Poly Pomona, we call it the “polytechnic advantage.”

This approach to learning and scholarship distinguishes us from other universities
and makes us an epicenter for creativity, discovery, and innovation.

We believe that it is not sufficient to only acquire the knowledge associated with the
courses. We assert that learning is deepened and students are better prepared when
they have the opportunity to apply the learning and demonstrating the knowledge
acquired.

And we believe that this educational experience provides students with the essential
knowledge and skills to succeed and achieve your dreams regardless of the field you
pursue.

Cal Poly Pomona and Ganpat University are also both institutions that believe deeply
in the transforming power of education. We believe that people are defined not by
their available resources but by their resourcefulness.

The transformative power of education has been the inspiration of your patron-in-
chief and president, Mr. Ganpat Patel. I like to think that he gained that knowledge
while he was an engineering student at Cal Poly Pomona, but clearly it has been the

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