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My name is Dan Rayfield. I majored in geography 

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and I graduated from Western Oregon University. 

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I majored in geography because I was inspired by a professor in that field.

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And frankly, it was just something I got excited about.

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Today, I am an attorney in Corvallis, Oregon.

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And I serve as the Speaker of the Oregon House here in Salem.

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On a typical work day I will come into the capitol,

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or I will be in district and my day is filled with meetings. 

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It is on topics that could range from transportation all the way to higher education.  

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With all of this focus that in the long term, 

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how are we going to prepare for the upcoming legislative session 

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to really enact kinda that vision for Oregon that we all share.

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My favorite part of the job here at the capitol is frankly getting to learn

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about so many different areas of the world we live in. 

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Western prepared me for my current job role,

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I think differently that probably other students.

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When I came into Western, you know, I had a lack of maturity.

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I wasn't great with my grades.

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But it was building up a sense of self-confidence.

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Frankly, learning how to operate in the world of, you know, 

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nothing that you do doesn't get accomplished without hard work.

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It's eventually what led me to have the confidence to apply to law school. 

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What I liked about Western was I got to know my professors very well. 

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There was an intimate relationship.

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That was the right fit for me.

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