inspiration to keep doing what I do

I'm a pretty lucky (okay, VERY lucky) girl in that deep in my heart I believe that what I do day in and day out in terms of my job makes a difference. Maybe not now. But at least somewhere down the road, a student might remember a conversation or a question or a comment and be able to trace it back to me. Or to St. Andrew's.
I've long known that St. Andrew's is an extraordinary place. We have our quirks and foibles and traditions and rituals just like any other school. But after all is said and done, it's a remarkable, unique community full of passionate people - students, teachers, administrators, coaches, parents, etc...
Today Amy sent me a copy of the letter that the president of her alma mater, Earlham College, sent out today. I've long been a fan of Earlham - a real "find" as far as colleges go. And today, I was even more encouraged by this school and all that it stands for when I read the letter from the president. But it also made me encouraged about the work that we do each day at St. Andrew's and made me hope that some of the same things that were said about Earlham could be said about us. When the president asked faculty members what he should tell people about Earlham, two of the responses that really resonated with me were:
- "We prepare students for the world as it is AND for the world we'd like it to be"
- "Earlham is a place where we learn to be better human beings"
Amen to both things...and I hope we could say that same about St. Andrew's. That we "raise" students who see reality but hope for something better for the future. And that in the process of learning (socially, emotionally, academically), they (and we!) learn to be better human beings.
I'm always struck by that word "better" but I think here I use it to mean that we're constantly in the process of looking at ourselves and trying to cast off the stuff that we're not proud of and the stuff that is hurtful and be more genuine, more honorable, more compassionate, and more sincere in what we do.
It's great encouragement to read stuff like this from a college as I work with seniors - many of whom will be going to college. Makes me want to make sure they are already thinking about these things...ready to absorb more as they move on. Priming the pump!