“The secret of success is for man to be ready for opportunity when it comes.”
                                                                                                               Benjamin Disraeli

Ray Shashaty

My name is Raymond Shashaty and I am a business administration major in the transfer program at John Tyler Community College.

The Disraeli quote was my opening line every time I entered a delegate or senator’s office. Dels. Cox and Ware, both history teachers at public high schools, knew of this quote and were impressed how well it was placed. Dels. Tyler and Carr both understood why the quote had been placed in my speech–they knew community college truly was an opportunity to be taken. Del. Ingram, however, seemed much more impressed when he had been informed that each community college student was a solid investment as our degrees led to better jobs and paychecks.

I did not know what to expect when my trip to the General Assembly began. I did know that this was a way for me to give back to the school that had given me so many opportunities to succeed. All I knew was my name had been sent to college relations by my professors and I had accepted an opportunity to speak on behalf of JTCC.

It was an entirely new, experience. Each of the legislators listened to what we had to say. Some of them had been in our shoes taking courses at community colleges as well. The experience was maturing; it allowed me to express my views of what the community college has done for me and others like me.

The biggest thing though, wasn’t what I said, but the fact that the people we spoke to actually cared what we had to say. The experience has been definitely an event I will remember and the experience will be lifelong.

Raymond Shashaty
John Tyler Community College