Business grad Blaha addresses classmates

Emily Blaha

Emily Blaha of Sturgeon Bay had a big day in the spotlight Dec. 19 as class speaker for UW-Green Bay’s 2015 fall/winter commencement at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts.

Blaha addressed a near-capacity audience of more than 2,000 in her brief remarks, which included an inspirational message for her graduating classmates, with three pieces of advice.

“The first piece of advice is to remember the dreams you set for yourself in the past,” Blaha said. “(Dreams) require hard work, determination, and tenacity — together, these enable you to go beyond what you thought were your limits.”

Second, she continued, “In a world where everyone is rushing to the next thing and there never seems to be enough time, don’t let today slip by as just another day.”

The third piece of advice, Blaha said, involves using college graduation as a springboard: “Now that you will be receiving your degrees, it is time to create new dreams to work towards. Whether your dream is to pursue a higher degree, travel the world, or start a family, there are always new opportunities waiting to be realized.”

Blaha is a Business Administration graduate with an emphasis in management and a minor in Design Arts. Along with her selection as class speaker, she was honored by the UW-Green Bay Alumni Association as the top graduate in her class as recipient of the Outstanding Student Award.