Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are proud to recognize seven outstanding INTEC graduates tonight. The winners come from different academic areas. Two of them studied in the area of ​​Health Sciences, one in Social Sciences and Humanities, two in Engineering and two in Business.

They were chosen through a rigorous application and selection procedure, in which around 30 candidates were considered, presented through an open nomination scheme, and through the active participation of different groups from the international community. This process culminates in the decision of a jury made up of the Rectory, the vice-chancellors, several tenured professors, the president of the Alumni Association, a past Chancellor and an external guest. All this guarantees that the winners are a worthy representation of the spirit of INTEC and that they constitute models of the human product that INTEC is committed to delivering to our society.

Each of the professionals we recognize today has accumulated different merits through different careers. However, a common feature in all of them is that they constitute an evident manifestation of INTEC's values, among which the search for excellence and the commitment to building a better country stand out. This award is, therefore, a reaffirmation of the values ​​that sustain our institution.

INTEC, let me recall, is the fruit of a dream that 39 years ago, a group of professionals crystallized as a way of understanding citizen commitment. This group of professionals believed that it was possible to transform the country through concentrated effort in a demanding, innovative and relevant higher education. That intention is still present today, perhaps more than yesterday, not only as a necessity, but also as a possibility.

INTEC professionals are and should be a development tool. The Dominican Republic is experiencing a profound process of transformation, and universities are called to assume a relevant role in this dynamic of change. Each graduate of INTEC, as the bearer of the institute's essential values, is a key part of the process.

The occasion is also propitious to reaffirm the bond between INTEC and its graduates, which, far from being accessory, is consigned in the statutes and in the international philosophy. The relationship between the bees and the hive does not end when they receive a diploma, nor does it become at that moment a nostalgic memory of a relationship that has already passed through professional training. Rather, graduation simply involves transitioning to three new forms of engagement with the institution.

The first commitment is to exemplify. If INTEC's goal is to become a model for Dominican higher education, the first step is for each of its graduates to be an exemplary professional. In saluting these laureates, we reaffirm that intention.

The second commitment is to participate, continue being and continue feeling part of INTEC. An INTEC graduate should not only see the institution as part of his past, but also as part of his present. INTEC aspires that its graduates remain attentive to its movements, attend its activities, promote it, defend it and, from time to time, return to our classrooms as part of a permanent training process. In the relationship with our university, the best is yet to come.

The third commitment is to contribute. Provide resources and ideas. To pay back, through INTEC, a part of the professional success achieved thanks to the training received in our classrooms. To feel, in short, committed to the growth of the institution that helped us grow. INTEC assumes the commitment to strengthen the conditions so that each graduate can comply with these forms of commitment, and guarantees in return a serious and sustained effort to be better and better.

Finally, let me congratulate our seven Outstanding Graduates 2011.

INTEC is proud of you!