By CHRISTOPHER BARGE

 Approximately 650 students will graduate from Mesa State College at 9 a.m. Sunday. The ceremony will be at Stocker Stadium, North 12th Street and North Avenue.

 The commencement speaker will be Alfred L. Stecklein, president, the Americas, for Gates Rubber Co. in Denver. Stecklein is responsible for U.S. sales, marketing and distribution.

 Benjamin L. Alexandra will deliver the student address. Alexandra, a 28-year-old, 4.0 biology student, will graduate summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in biological sciences.

 At Mesa State, Alexandra put himself through school by running his own computer consulting business called Funky Monk Consulting. He developed clients in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania by doing Web design, networking, database design and troubleshooting.

 Before coming to Mesa State, Alexandra traveled for three years, visiting countries such as Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand, where he studied Buddhism.

 After graduation, Alexandra will return to his home in Spring Valley, N.Y., where he will run his business and ponder medical school.

 Seven students will graduate from Mesa State's new MBA program. The college's School of Applied Technology will have first-time graduates from two new degree programs.

Students will graduate with associate of applied science degrees in culinary arts and in communications technology.

Christopher Barge can be reached via e-mail at cbarge@gjds.com.

By CHRISTOPHER BARGE The Daily Sentinel

 Two well-traveled speakers from different walks of life addressed approximately 650 graduating students during Mesa State College's 75th commencement ceremony, held Sunday morning at Stocker Stadium.

 The sun shone on bleachers overflowing with proud parents and friends as students marched onto the football field and took their seats. Some of the black gown and mortar board-clad students blew bubbles and bounced beach balls into the air throughout the ceremony.

 "I'm still a bit of a dinosaur and a relic of the past," said Alfred Stecklein, the commencement speaker.

 Stecklein oversees operations for The Gates Rubber Co. in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.

 "I look upon you with envy, because you are embarking on your careers at the most exciting time in the history of the world," Stecklein said. "Take an active interest in understanding the world outside of this country. Help us, the older generation, to seize tomorrow, so that we will not be stuck in yesterday."

 The Mesa State class of 2000 chose Benjamin Alexandra to give the student address. Alexandra, a 28-year old, 4.0 biology student from Spring Valley, N.Y., traveled for three years in the Far East, studying Buddhism and Chinese, before enrolling at Mesa State. He put himself through school by running his own computer consulting business called Funky Monk Consulting.

 As his long hair blew in the wind, Alexandra challenged the graduates to follow their passions.

 "Take the thing that makes you happiest and turn it into a career," Alexandra said . "Many parents feel strongly about the way their children's lives should be led, and use influence in the form of a car and college tuition to make sure that things go the way they would like to see them go. Now, there is no doubt that they do this out of love for their children, but at a certain point they must let go, and let their children live their own lives."

 Even though he graduated suma cum laude from a pre-med track, Alexandra will never be a doctor because he realized the thing that got him up in the mornings was technology, not medicine.

 "Breaking the news to my parents that I would probably never be a doctor was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but once I did, I felt a huge burden lifted from my shoulders," Alexandra said. "I'm talking about living your passion. It's about doing what you love, so you never have to actually 'work.' ”

 Through college, Alexandra developed clients for his company in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania by doing Web design, networking, database design and troubleshooting.

 "Make your life a conscious decision. Don't confuse fun with happiness. And remember that in the real world, 12 hours per week is not considered full time."

 After the speeches, Michael Gallagher, Mesa State College president, conferred degrees to all of the graduates, including seven from the college's new MBA program.

 Gallagher also recognized members of the class of 1950, who had been invited to attend the ceremony.