VALPARAISO | Indiana Supreme Court Justice Robert Rucker congratulated this year's graduates of the Valparaiso University School of Law, telling the group Saturday he recognized all their hard work and debt.

"Today is a day for basking in the light at the end of the tunnel," the Gary native told the near-capacity crowd gathered for the commencement ceremony at the Chapel of the Resurrection.

Yet Rucker encouraged the graduates, as they set out to pursue their various professional goals, to always keep in mind their responsibility to serve society.

He offered, as a reminder, a three-part challenge to shake up, show up and speak up.

By shake up, he said he means not letting education end with graduation.

"Be a lifelong learner," Rucker said.

It is no compliment, he said, if at your 10-year class reunion someone comments you have not changed a bit.

The suggestion to show up means just that, he said.

"The world is run by those who show up," Rucker said.

In addition to drawing inspiration for his talk from Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr., Rucker quoted "Peanuts" comic strip creator Charles Schulz as saying those who make the headlines are the ones who are remembered. The ones remembered are those who make a difference in our lives.

Lastly, Rucker urged the students to speak up about the many injustices in the world.

Rucker is a 1976 graduate of the Valparaiso University School of Law and was appointed to the state supreme court in 1999 by Gov. Frank O'Bannon.