News & Updates

05-15-09 - President Obama references SR Ltd. project in commencement speech!

› Posted May 15, 2009

President Barack Obama referenced our Disabled Malawian project when quoting senior Bioengineering student, Leila Kabiri-Badrat, at Arizona State University's commencement ceremony on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009. He stated,

"I think one student said it best when she spoke about her senior engineering project building medical devices for people with disabilities in a village in Africa. Her professor showed a video of the folks they'd be helping, and she said, "When we saw the people on the videos, we began to feel a connection to them. It made us want to be successful for them." That's a good motto for all of us - find someone to be successful for. Rise to their hopes and their needs. As you think about life after graduation, as you look in the mirror tonight, you may see somebody with no idea what to do with their life. But a troubled child might look at you and see a mentor. A homebound senior citizen might see a lifeline. The folks at your local homeless shelter might see a friend. None of them care how much money is in your bank account, or whether you're important at work, or famous around town - they just know that you're someone who cares, someone who makes a difference in their lives."

President Obama's message to the senior class, as well as to those in attendance and watching at home, proved extremely motivating and inspirational.