The Poet Laureate for the State of Illinois, and a Bradley University Professor, admitted something last night you might not expect from someone who has done as much work as he has in his career.

"Like all commencement speakers, I come here disguised as a successful person.  Well graduates, let me confess to you:  I come here before you as a failure," said Dr. Kevin Stine.

Stine, after all, says all he really wanted to do was play shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds. But he told the Class of 2008 at Carl Sandburg College last night that he wouldn't be who he was today if he didn't fail from time to time.

He told the over 400 graduates or certificate recipients that failing is okay, and something you shouldn't be afraid of.  "I must risk being frequently, foolishly wrong, to be occasionally, redemptively right," Stine said.

In addition to risking failure, Stine told the graduates that they shouldn't be easily satisfied, they should pay attention, and make their lives, in his words, their poem to the world.

You can hear all of Stine's commencement address by clicking on the audio player at the front of the "news" page here at galesburg.info.

Also last night, an Abingdon High School Senior did something that's never been done before -- technically, he's graduated from college, before he graduated from high school.

Matthew Wolford received an Associate of Sciences degree from Carl Sandburg College at their commencement exercises last night.

Wolford did that through the use of dual credit courses, and was a dual credit scholarship recipient from CSC.  Wolford picks up his high school diploma from Abingdon May 23rd.

CSC also used part of its commencement exercises last night to honor 12 staff members retiring at the end of the academic year.  Many of them have been with the college for decades.

CSC President Tom Schmidt says the departing dozen have put in a combined 278 years of service to the college.