It’s my great pleasure and honor to be with you today and to welcome you to the New Day Learning Center this semester. It’s great to see all of you. I’m sure you are expecting great things from your time here. We’re excited to have you here.

We want you to be successful in your studies and in your life, so we are here to help you with both. You will learn a lot of English and you will learn a lot about American, Filipino, African and other cultures as other foreigners pass through here from time to time. You will have many opportunities to speak with native English speakers. But, it’s up to you to take those opportunities. We are providing an environment that will help you to succeed, but you must take advantage of this while you’re here. We can’t do it for you.

We are committed to your success and we will work very hard to provide you with the best educational experience you have ever had. We expect you to do the same thing. Hard work is not something we should try to avoid, but it’s something we were made to do and it’s something we should embrace. There is no greater satisfaction than to work hard and accomplish goals you’ve set for yourself.

Think of this time as a race. Not a sprint, but a marathon. A marathon takes time and perseverance. At times you feel like you want to quit. At other times you feel like you just can’t physically go on. But, if you are able to push on and push through you will eventually reach the finish line and you will experience the great satisfaction of that achievement. There will be times during this semester when you will feel like giving up. There will be other times that you will feel like you’ve hit a wall and that you are unable to continue. At those times, remind yourself to press on, re-focus and you will reach your goals.

It will take commitment from you. Commitment to:
1. Only speak English – If you don’t do this you are only cheating yourself
2. Ask questions (why do the foreigners do what they do)
3. Boldly try (failure is the mother of success)
4. Trying again
5. Never giving up
6. Doing the best you can
7. Getting to know us
8. Disciplining yourself

This week and the rest of this term we are going to do things much differently than you’re use to. We are going to make use the language and not just focus on books. You will be challenged and you may not fully understand what’s going on or why we’re doing it. Focus on listening to understand. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything and don’t worry if you can’t speak well. Focus on communication and focus on understanding what is happening. Listen, respond and enjoy the experience.

If you’re not serious about studying, it would be better for you to leave now. If you think this is a place to come and play, you are mistaken. There are many people who want to share in this opportunity. Don’t waste this opportunity you have this semester. Focus while you are here and don’t waste a second. We will strictly enforce the rules for everyone.

Thank you for coming and I look forward to getting to know you all. My office is always open and you’re welcome to come talk with me from time to time. Have a great day.