College is a fruitful experience in a number of ways. This fact is extremely evident on the verge of graduation, but looking back it saddens me to remember now what I didn’t know then. Still, that may truly be the beauty in the entire experience.

Growth is the measuring stick of life; if you are not growing you are not living. As children we are tasked by anyone with superiority to complete objectives, told all the while that we will get something out of it. We grow older and continue to follow the same path but with subtly different instruction and slightly different rewards; in the end, the goal is always the same. We are inspired to grow.

Now that is where a key factor enters the mix because not all of us know what aspects of life we want to grow or how to begin that process. Socially, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, the list is literally endless and all that stimuli can make decision making troublesome. 

That is until one day we decide that learning is important.

College can be that bridge for many of us. The transition between what we have become numb to, and instead be that reinvigoration. Walking into classes transitions from being a troublesome task into moments that are fleeting, and if there is one thing humans do well it is worry over what tomorrow will bring.

Do not worry my fellow classmates. What is being taught to you is what has been taught to others and with that knowledge they have achieved great successes, but the most important thing that must come from our studies can not be quantified. The true education received at Missouri Southern is not simply what comes from within the curriculum, but instead, it is the self-worth and confidence developed.

Today you are someone that you aspired to be, maybe you are still in that process, but regardless of your age, color or major of choice you have made a commitment to growth; for that you should be proud.

What we learn within the dreary colored classrooms creates what we view as possible, molds us into analytical thinkers and pushes us to challenge the norm. This generation continues to be relegated to substandard categories but from turmoil will come triumph.

Today this publication is the top Division II newspaper in the state of Missouri, and as the Editor in Chief I can say that I am honored to be leaving it in capable hands; this canvas is yours.