Senator Dave Syverson Celebrates 2026 Rockford Career College Graduating Class
A veteran Illinois elected official, himself the alumnus of a local college in Rockford, recently delivered the keynote commencement address at Rockford Career College, inspiring a graduating class that, just like him, overcame obstacles to earn a diploma.
Illinois State Senator Dave Syverson, born in Chicago and raised and educated in Rockford, has represented the 35th district since 1993. Across his 33-year tenure, he has championed the virtues of vocational and community colleges, advocating hands-on technical training to prepare skilled tradespeople for successful careers that keep the Illinois economy thriving.
The 281 Rockford Career College graduates at the ceremony will now go on to be everything from welders and electrical technicians to dental assistants, practical nurses and HVAC professionals.
The event brought Senator Syverson virtually full circle in his life. He flashed back to his own early years and spoke from the heart about how much he had in common with the new college graduates in his audience.
“I started in a situation that was maybe worse than many of yours,” he said. “I lived in a single-parent home, in government housing, with an abusive father. I worked two jobs to help my mother to keep a roof over our heads.”
“I struggled in school and eventually dropped out of college,” he said, because working so many hours at his job prevented him from getting to class and doing his homework. “I thought life was unfair and I was being cheated. And it was at that point that I had to make the tough decision. Do I wallow in the bad cards that I was dealt or do I refuse to let the past define me?”
So he attended a two-year community college in Rockford, majoring in business, but had to drop out before he could receive an associate degree so he could earn a living.
Students at vocational colleges such as Rockford Career College are often from low-income or blue-collar backgrounds and raised by single parents. They might otherwise never have gotten the opportunity to go to college. Vocational colleges are more affordable than traditional four-year universities, averaging about one-fourth the cost, with degrees requiring less time, generally two years – sometimes only 10 months – rather than four, quickening return on investment.
Vocational colleges also help students find jobs, whether as nurses, welders, plumbers, machinists, electricians or personal care aides. They graduate, usually as first-generation college students, ready to kick-start a career.
“Individuals can get a degree in an occupationally relevant field,” Syverson said. “They’re also more likely stay local and work local. It’s a win not only for graduates but also for the community.”
Syverson cited how holding down two jobs all through high school instilled in him the discipline he later needed to mount a campaign for office. He had no money funding him, nor a political name.
“So I walked four hours a day and six hours on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said. “I walked to every single door in the three counties that represent my Senate district. It took me seven months, but we got it done and I ended up winning by just a couple of points. I still have those shoes I wore hanging on my office wall.”
“I never thought for a minute when I was riding my bike to work at McDonald’s and struggling in school that someday I would stand here as a senator giving a commencement speech in front of all of you,” he said.
“If I can do it, anyone can do it,” he added. “Where you start never has to mean that’s where you’ll end.”
Syverson praised the school’s faculty and administration for routinely going the extra mile to take care of its students.
“What really stands out to me about this school,” Syverson said, “is your ability to meet each one of these students where they are at in their life, and the unique ability that you have to successfully develop a plan for each student to help them get across the finish line.”
“And that says so much about Rockford Career College,” he continued. “So thank you to the college and the staff for making a difference in so many lives.”
Watch the full graduation speech here:
Full Speech Video
Transcript
00:08
Syverson
Wow, this room is packed.
00:10
Syverson
It’s great to see all of you. I’m honored to be here to join you along with your families and friends and your loved ones on this big day. Let me congratulate each one of you on this major accomplishment in your life. And to the college and staff, I am so grateful and will really stand out to me about this school is your ability to meet each one of these students where they are at in their life. And the unique ability that you have to successfully develop a plan for each student to help them get across the finish line. And that says so much about Rockford Career College. So thank you to the college and the staff for making a difference in so many lives. Now, congratulates. You are about to start a new chapter in your life.
00:58
Syverson
Think about this crazy number: if you are blessed with good health, you’ll have about 3,000 weeks left in your life. 3,000 weeks. With the time you have left, you’re going to have to decide for yourselves: are you going to be just getting by? Are you going to just do the minimum? Are you just going to settle for your life as it is, or are you going to want to look back at the end of your life and say, “You know what? No regrets. Life has been one hell of a ride.” That choice is going to be yours. Here’s another reality and a fact of life that you need to keep in mind: if you work hard now, your life is going to get easier. However, if you take life easy, and do just enough to get by, your life is going to be harder.
01:54
Syverson
I do not have to— I don’t have all the time to go through all the details of my past, but I started in a situation that maybe worse than many of yours. I lived in single-parent home, lived in times of government housing, had an abusive father. I worked two long jobs for as long as I can remember to help my mother, keep a roof over her house, above her head. My 16th birthday, there was no birthday party. It was the first day I had to work full-time at McDonald’s. I struggled in school, and eventually dropped out of college because I couldn’t keep working that many hours and go to school. And so for me, at that time in my life, I wasn’t happy. I thought life was unfair, and I was being cheated. And it was at that point that I had to make the tough decision: do I wallow in the bad cards that I was dealt, or do I decide to not let the past define me?
02:55
Syverson
And that’s what I chose to do. I chose not to look back. And remember, the life that you are building now does not have to look anything like the life you left behind. Success will not be easy, but here’s the difference: if you want to be a winner, if you fall down 5 times and you get up 6, if you don’t feel like going to work, then you get up and go to work anyways. If you really want to be a winner, whatever career you have chosen to go into now, whatever specialty you’ve gone into, you go into work every day and you work harder than your coworkers. You learn more about your job than your coworkers.
03:35
Syverson
Trust me, that will not only help you with your career, but it’s going to help you feel better, and you’re going to be much more confident in the work that you do. Because working hard pays off. Does it make a difference? Absolutely.
03:49
Syverson
Ask Michael Jordan. He wasn’t the best basketball player in the world, but he worked harder than anybody else. You know, it’s interesting: when I decided to run for the Senate, I didn’t have money. I didn’t have a political name. I didn’t have political experience. But what I had was discipline, to work hard, and a desire to make a difference. And remember I mentioned earlier that in my life I did like the fact that I had to work two long jobs from as young as I can remember. Well, working those two long jobs prepared me for a life of campaigning. Not having the kind of money that others did, for me to win, I had to go out and work. So I walked 4 hours a day, 6 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. I walked to every single door in the 3 counties that represent my Senate district. It took me 7 months but we got it done. An election night, I ended up winning by just a couple of points. It was hard work, and I realized if I hadn’t worked that hard, if I hadn’t paid the price, I would not be here today. And I still have— I still have the shoes hanging in my office wall, from walking for 7 months campaigning.
05:05
Syverson
So as a reminder, there’s a price to pay for success, and most people aren’t willing to pay that price. But if you are, watch out, world. So work hard, never give up, because you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve.
05:21
Syverson
So simple common-sense things: work hard, never give up. You do this, you’ll be amazed at the wonderful life you’re going to have. You’ll be amazed at all you can accomplish. You know, I never thought for a minute, when I was riding my bike to McDonald’s and I was struggling in school, that someday if I didn’t give up, I could be standing here as a businessman, as a senator, giving a commencement speech in front of all of you. Remember, all of you have already survived every single one of the worst days of your life. You’ve already survived every one of the worst days of your life. And you’re still standing. You’ve worked hard to get your diploma, something many people are unable to do. And that should tell you one thing: that you were all built for survival. You were built for success.
06:11
Syverson
Don’t pass it up. Don’t give up. So now it was one life is about to get interesting. So go out there, work hard, play hard, and most of all, enjoy the ride. God bless you. Good luck to all of you.
Senator Syverson’s Letter to the Editor in the Chicago Sun TImes
The support Senator Syverson expressed during commencement didn’t end when the ceremony was over. Following the event, he expanded on his message in a Letter to the Editor in the Chicago Sun Times, highlighting the growing importance of vocational education in Illinois and the critical role career colleges play in preparing students for high-demand careers.
He praised schools like Rockford Career College for meeting students where they are and helping them build meaningful careers that strengthen local communities.
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to deliver the keynote address at the commencement ceremony for Rockford Career College, a 164-year-old vocational school and one of many such institutions in Illinois. As I told the students, their families and guests, vocational schools are increasingly being recognized as a valuable educational alternative to traditional four-year universities, and for good reason.
The unemployment rate for 20-something graduates of vocational schools and community colleges was only 2.1%, compared with 15.3% for four-year college alumni, according to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Locally, almost one-third of all jobs in Illinois by 2031 will require a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree, according to the Association for Career and Technical Education. To meet this demand, Illinois in the 2022-23 school year had 125,022 postsecondary students participating in career and technical education.
What I appreciate about vocational schools is not just their convenient locations for students, but their ability to meet each student’s needs based on where they are in life. Many of these students come from low-income or blue-collar backgrounds and may have believed that college or career vocational training was unattainable. However, now they are finding that vocational colleges are more affordable, offer degrees that require less time — generally two years, sometimes only 10 months — and prepare students for fields where there is real job demand.
Another item that stands out about our Illinois vocational schools is how they are breaking down traditional gender and age barriers in skilled vocational fields. What I found most impressive about meeting these students was that there were no traditional career silos holding them back.
There were many women earning degrees in fields that have traditionally been male dominated, such as plumbing, welding, electrical work and manufacturing. Likewise, men were pursuing careers in healthcare and nursing. I have long advocated hands-on technical training to prepare the next generation of skilled tradespeople for successful careers and to keep our local economy strong. It is encouraging to see.
Read Senator Syverson’s full Letter to the Editor, along with others, in the Chicago Sun Times 6/27/26
