Nearly 1,400 students graduated from West Virginia University in December.

New graduates and their families celebrated their academic achievements at the Dec. 11 December Convocation held in the WVU Coliseum. Jeannette Walls, MSNBC .com columnist and best-selling author ofThe Glass Castle,delivered the keynote address.

The most important thing to understand about education is that it doesn’t begin or end in the classroom,said Walls, who overcame childhood hardships and went on to graduate from Barnard College with honors.Never stop learning. Never stop dreamingGo out and take on the world.

To view a complete transcript of her inspirational speech, go tohttp://www.wvu.edu/administration/speeches/walls_dec112005.htm