Matt Moore has dreamed of becoming a state conservationist ever since he “found out there were people paid to work outside.”

On Saturday, Moore got that much closer to his dream, being one of 256 graduates to receive an associates degree from Crowder College during the institution’s 43rd annual spring commencement.

Moore only had six credit hours left to go when he returned to Crowder after taking a year off. He now plans on transferring to Missouri Southern State University for his bachelor’s degree. And after that, hopefully, a career in conservation science.

“I just love the outdoors,” he explained. “I’ve wanted to be a conservationist for a long time.”

Meanwhile, his first cousin, Kiel Moore, also graduated Crowder Saturday with an associate of arts degree, but said he may return if the college offers an associate degree in welding. Moore has already earned his certificate for the same.

Eventually, he would like to become a welding supervisor for a large manufacturer, and he possibly already has a job lined out where he will be trained on welding inspections.

While attending Crowder as a full-time student, Moore also held down a full-time job. It took him a little over two years to plow through and earn his degree. But on Saturday, he said he’s glad he stuck with it.

Moore also said he was surprised about helpful the faculty were at Crowder.

“A lot of people warned me about college, about how the professors are usually just there to teach the class and get out, but they are actually pretty concerned here about helping you out and getting you through the class any way they can,” he said. “I was really surprised about how well they helped out here.”

The theme of this year’s commencement was a quote by 1931 Nobel Peace Prize winner Jane Adaams: “Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics.”

Building on that, Saturday’s keynote speaker, graduating student and president of Crowder’s Student Government Association, Mitch Alcola, told his fellow alumni that ethics was simply “doing what’s right to others.”

He said what Adaams’ quote meant to him was that being truthful in one’s actions is the only way to convey to others how to be ethical in turn. He likened ethical behavior to a “chain of fire” that can eventually develop into something “amazing.”

“If everyone followed ethical behavior, there would be such a stronger moral fiber around the world, and many of the problems in the news today wouldn’t happen,” Alcola said. “…So as you leave these doors at this spring 2008 graduation, please take the ethics that have been instilled in you throughout your journey in life and throughout your college years here at Crowder and let them help you be more productive and fulfilled in your adventure through life.”