We had a celebration in our family yesterday when my son, John, had his board of review and officially achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Boy Scouts. This was a major achievement that began in first grade as a Tiger Cub and has continued for 11 years, culminating in a major service project at the Environmental Center at Miami Dade College this year. But in reality, yesterday was just another day in his life. The learning and growth were gradual. The people who helped him were many. The effort was slow and continuous. Yesterday he was examined and awarded this highest rank, but there was no big change at any point in the process.
This is just like our students at UM. They enter. You work with them. They grow and learn. They graduate. Many of them don't even realize how much they have changed during their time with us because the change is so gradual. They celebrate commencement and they think it is over, not realizing that growth and learning and change are the one constant they will experience as long as they live.
John will be entering UM in Fall 2011, if all goes as planned. I hope that each of you will have the opportunity to guide him on his journey the same way you guide all of your students. You are what makes an education at UM great. You may not get the recognition you deserve, you all may do it in different ways, but you are the ones that work with our students on a daily basis, encouraging, helping, coaching, and guiding them on their journey. As I celebrate all those who have helped my son become what he is today, I celebrate with all of you the honors that your students achieve every day as they live their informed and educated lives.
What you do is worth doing. I thank you for it.
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Bill Vilberg
bill.vilberg@miami.edu<mailto:bill.vilberg@miami.edu>
786-250-2255
