That was quick...

The past few months I've been doing a lot of looking back on my time here at Bluffton. These past 3 and a half years have produced some of the toughest and best times of my life, and all kinds of things in between. It's weird to think, but a lot of the people here probably wouldn't recognize the high school me. There's something about college that changes you in ways you would never expect.

I remember about half way through my senior year of high school when a friend of mine, who was a year older, came home to visit. He went to a college a few hours away so I hadn't seen him for several months. But it was different. He wasn't the same guy that I knew from high school. It was weird, and I didn't like it. I mean, it wasn't like he was bad guy all of a sudden, but there was something different that I just couldn't put my finger on, and I didn't like it. I wanted it to be like old times.

So anyway, I made up my mind then and there that I wasn't going to change- I would be the same person that I was when I started. I didn't want to be some weirdo when I came home to visit. Then, it just happened without me having any say in it. And you know what? I'm ok with it. In fact, I don't think I would have gotten my money's worth had I not been changed.

Change can mean so many different things really. For me, it means learning to think globally and not just about myself. It means being more responsible (which I'm still working on, but I'm getting there). It means tackling some tough issues and finding out where I stand in my beliefs. It means being open to whatever life brings my way.

So, I guess the point I'm trying to make, is to be prepared to undergo a transformation when you go to college. I can almost guarantee that you'll be surprised with how you turn out. With a little hard work and an open mind, I can also guarantee that you'll be pleased with how you turn out. Be prepared to be stretched, to be shaped and molded, to be changed. It can be uncomfortable at times, but I think you'll like what you see when it's all said and done.

Oh and by the way, it goes by faster than you think, so enjoy yourself. Until next time,

Scott