June 10, 2013

Good Monday Morning:

Oh my, how thoughtful you all are. Your ‘Notes of Thanks’ that filled the red-ribboned white box that President-elect Michael Mihalyo presented to Joni and me before the Jack Gibbons ‘Notes of Thanks’ concert Friday evening touched our hearts ever so deeply. Thank you for thinking of us in such kind ways.

And special thanks to Jack for sharing with the campus and wider community the gift of his own genius. I couldn’t help but reflect as he played his recently composed Nocturne in B flat minor just how much uncreated beauty was everywhere around us till he came into our lives. We are indeed richly blessed.

Joni and I are still in disbelief at the generosity of members of the Board of Trustees in establishing and funding an endowed Presidential Chair in our honor. The privilege of serving D&E these past five years is reward enough. To experience such an expression of gratitude is overwhelming.

As we were changing planes in Denver Sunday evening, an email message arrived in the iPhone Inbox from Agustin Ochoa, President of our Student Assembly. He writes with telling enthusiasm for his summer internship and D&E experience. With his permission, I’d like to share with you portions of his own message of gratitude:

“I am doing an internship with Edward Jones Investments, one of the leading financial advisory firms...I am in Tempe, Arizona, as an intern in the Mutual Funds Division. I am very impressed with the firm! There are no offices here, everyone is in cubicles and working in an open area. It's very team oriented. Even the general partners have a cubicle. It's pretty humbling and impressive. Everyone is super nice, friendly, and helpful. And all of these characteristics are very similar to the way (D&E operates), which I hold in very high regard.

“The internship program is very solid and comprehensive. There are all sorts of courses I can take on the firm's internal website, I will shadow different departments, and attend a speaker series and have breakfast with a general partner…I am learning a ton of new things every day. And most importantly, I love it! It's definitely an amazing place, and I am extremely happy to be living this experience and having this opportunity.

“The reason I am sharing this with you is to tell you that I am proud of the D&E education I am getting. Being part of a Liberal Arts college has allowed me to learn about so many different topics and areas of study, and I have become a more broad-based person because of that.

“Also, being part of a small school has given me the chance to get involved in different service and leadership positions, working in teams outside the classroom and helping improve my communication skills. That combination of small college and liberal arts education is the reason why I have the fortune to be part of such a successful firm today, as an intern…Without you and the College I wouldn't be here, so thank you for that.”

Some of our students are working on campus for the summer. Others – like Agustin – have ventured off into uncharted territory. It is pure delight to think of them as they explore new possibilities for their lives during these few months away. And how our lives and the campus will be enriched upon their return.

Don’t forget to check out beginning work on the new synthetic turf soccer-lacrosse field this week. Equipment is due to arrive this morning, with construction getting underway as the week unfolds.

Create a wonderful week.