This is how the bell tower on our campus looks when you are underneath it looking skyward. It’s a beautiful sight. It’s also a beautiful sound. At least to me.

The road to getting my college degrees was a long and winding one. It took a lot of growing up, it took a lot of courage, it took a lot of foundational attributes that I didn’t think I possessed. There are still days when I find myself searching for some of those attributes that pushed me beyond where I thought I could go. But today is not one of those days.

Today is the first day of the 2009-2010 school year. This semester I was asked to take on two more courses in addition to my regular teaching load. I gladly accepted the challenge. A few days ago, when the number of registered students skyrocketed, I was asked if I could increase my class capacity from 25 to 30. I gladly accepted that challenge.

You see. I am one of the fortunate ones who is still employed in this declining economy. Some of the students who have been enrolling these past few weeks have not been so lucky. We have had several anchor businesses fold in the ‘bigger’ city. This has pushed many back into school in search of a new career.

Their college career path is likely similar to mine. Long and winding. It is my responsibility to ‘push’ them to where they want to go and to gently provide support to those that are trying to re-figure where they want to be.

As I head out to campus today I am looking forward to hearing the bell tower chimes. It takes me on a journey filled with backpacks, study groups, all-nighters and an occasional party or two (cough…cough).

Those chimes remind me who I was.

Those chimes remind me who I have grown to be.

Those chimes remind me who I am to my students.

Thank you God for placing me in this position. I pray that I will lead each and every one of my students where you want them to go.