We are all back!
Greetings!
Today in the College of Business & Public Administration, the stars have aligned in their journey (well, the sun, moon, and earth, anyway), while in ours, we start the fall semester! Welcome back!
It’s a great day to marvel at our journeys. Whether you’re starting your first year of college, a senior who’s planning your next steps after crossing the stage, or a grad student ready to gain that next-level knowledge and experience, the start of fall classes means we’re all back together at UND.
Whether you’re proud faculty eager to get back in the classroom, or amped-up staff ready to help students get where they need to be, the start of fall classes means we’re all back together in the CoBPA.
The journey is ours to take, and ours to make. Today, I remember my own journey!
When I started college, I was so nervous, I actually pushed my mom out of my dorm-room door so I could finish moving in and get to my first social event. (Sorry, mom!)
My sophomore year, I finally picked my major in political science, after dabbling in three others. (Sorry, unnamed other majors!)
Junior year, I planned to study abroad, in Japan – a life-changing experience. (Learned to appreciate another culture!)
And coming back as a senior, I mapped how a summer internship would land me a job in Washington. (Indirectly, it did, just at a different place!)
When I started grad school, I was older, wiser, with two years of work experience under my belt, yet still so nervous to come back to school. (Everyone seemed so smart!)
And when I started my last year of grad school, I couldn’t wait for the promise of getting my degree and achieving my life’s dream: to join the faculty at a great school like the UND. (Couldn’t be luckier to have landed here!)
Point is, wherever you’re at in your personal journey, each year brings something new. When you go look at the eclipse today – not without the right glasses! – take a moment and reflect on your own journey and how fortunate we are to be in a community that values learning, discovering, and engaging with new ideas, and with one another. That’s what college is about.
Happy Eclipse Day!
-Steve
