Photo by Eric Zavinski Kyle Baglia was the keynote speaker Saturday at Jamestown Community College 68th commencement.

It’s May, meaning commencement season is in full swing for colleges. Jamestown Community College graduated its Class of 2018 with associates and bachelors degrees Saturday morning in its 68th commencement.

In total, 475 spring 2018 graduates, 165 December 2017 graduates and 36 summer 2017 graduates received their degrees.

Alumnus Kyle Baglia was there to challenge the graduates with a speech recapping his career as a member of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds Showline. A 2008 graduate with an associate’s degree in criminal justice, Baglia wanted to return in hopes to inspire graduates to live an extraordinary life.

In fact, that was his first of four challenges for listening students. He called them life lessons that he had garnered since his graduation from JCC 10 years prior.

“Like you, I was ready to see what the world has to offer beyond JCC,” Baglia said.

Baglia mentioned the “classic scene right out of the movies” in which he stepped off the bus for the first time at the Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and thought to himself: “What have I got myself into?”

His story was then a tale of perseverance, through his work maintaining F-16 fighter jets to assisting his comrades sustain the region of the Republic of South Korea. Baglia then went on to become a United States Air Force Thunderbird, but not before a stint at the F-16 Agressor Unit in Las Vegas where he maintained aircraft and earned numerous airman awards.

“As I walked through the halls of the Thunderbird squadron for the first time, I was like a baseball player walking into Yankee Stadium. I finally made it, I thought to myself,” Baglia said.

After he worked a year in phase for heavy maintenance, Baglia became the number four dedicated crew chief for the slot position. In other words as Baglia described, “I was in charge of the jet and was responsible for the pilot’s safety. I performed in over 70 air shows over eight months in front of millions of people.”

Baglia used his background to prove his first point of choosing an extraordinary life over an ordinary life. “An ordinary life is easy,” Baglia said. “Anybody can do that. If there was a class offered called ‘An Ordinary Life,’ you have a good chance of receiving an A.”

He said that would not be the case in a class called “Extraordinary Life.” Baglia reiterated that it would have to be taken time and again.

Baglia’s second lesson was to not fear failure.

“When I failed to turn my dreams into reality, I accepted the defeat. However, I did not beat myself up over it. I had the courage to not live my life in fear of failure and try again.”

Baglia talked about how he was probably one of the worst ones learning choreography for the Thunderbirds. In the face of being told about large upcoming audiences and possibly screwing up in front of them, Baglia kept moving forward and trying his best.

“Better to fail in pursuit of your dreams than sit at home fantasizing about pursuing your dreams,” Baglia said.

He then recalled a time of the first show of a season, and his jet did not start. He said he could have let it get him down, but instead, he retained his composure with his comrades and continued the show as smoothly as possible. People expressed how impressed they were that the airmen kept their cool in a stressful time.

Baglia’s third lesson was to protect one’s dreams.

“You need to think of your dreams as a precious egg you carry,” he said.

He called on the graduates to safeguard dreams, even if those around them were to be jealous or say their dreams are too big. Baglia compared his situation with the Thunderbirds to the dreams of others.

“When I told some of my military friends about the possibility of joining the Thunderbirds, they said it would never happen,” Baglia said.

Once Baglia proved the doubters wrong and became a Thunderbird, his supervisor told him they were going to eat him alive. Baglia didn’t let that happen and instead let the comment motivate him. One year into his three-year tour with the Thunderbirds, he again proved doubters wrong by holding onto his dreams and received the Leo Marquez Award, the highest award given to an enlisted maintenance professional.

“You have to be your biggest fan; you have to motivate yourself every day to keep going,” Baglia said.

His last charge was to visualize. He told himself to do that to get his hopes up for the Thunderbirds. He visualized himself walking onto the flight line in the very uniform he would one day wear. He said he wasn’t surprised at all when he got accepted into the Thunderbirds because he had been visualizing it the whole time.

“Become obsessed with your dreams,” Baglia charged. “Every ounce of energy you have should be getting you closer to that. If you are putting energy into something academically or professionally that is not getting you closer to your dreams, you are wasting your time.”

Baglia finished by reminded the Class of 2018 that there dreams are in their hands now that they have graduated.

Other highlights of the commencement ceremony included a choral interlude of “100 Years” by Five for Fighting covered by the JCC College Choir and the awarding of degrees. Baglia and Rebecca Nystrom received Distinguished Alumnus Awards.

The JCC Trustee Award, which is awarded in recognition of the highest academic achievement in each degree area, was presented to Misty Becker of Jamestown and Garrett Martin of Olean, Associate of Arts, Liberal Arts and Sciences: Social Science; Charity Crossley of Jamestown, Associate in Applied Science, Mechanical Technology; Annalise Boyer of Randolph, Tiffany Donaldson of Falconer, and Madeline Lynch of Lakewood, Associate in Science, Liberal Arts and Sciences: Mathematics and Science; Greta Gustafson of Frewsburg, A.S, Communication; Alex Johnson of Youngsville, Pa, A.S., Computer Science; Marina Kessler of Fredonia, A.S., Biotechnology; Samantha Nordlund of Jamestown, A.S., Individual Studies; Mitchell Schapp of Little Valley, A.S., Liberal Arts and Sciences: Adolescence Education; and Riley Stedman of Springville, A.S., Environmental Science.