Student speaker: Generation Y can be great

Nicholas J. Vlies, chosen to be the graduating class speaker at Saturday’s spring 2010 commencement ceremony, challenged his classmates to step up and solve some of the great problems that confront the world.

Nicholas Vlies, student speaker

“It is a bittersweet moment. We’re excited about graduating and terrified of the problems of the world we inherit,” he confessed, mentioning war, environmental problems and economic uncertainty. But in the next moment he challenged his classmates, members of Generation ‘Y,’ to become the next greatest generation by solving those same problems.

“Show what a UW-Green Bay graduate can do,” said the Green Bay native who graduated summa cum laude with majors in Public Administration, Environmental Policy and Planning and Political Science. “Do not underestimate what you can do.”