Dear Kid,

Happy Second Day of Orientation. Personally, my little brain is completely overwhelmed from yesterday (Day One of Orientation) and I’m pretty sure it will take me several days weeks months to sift through everything and sort out my thoughts.

There was one thing that particularly struck me. The Dean of Students asked an interesting question. She asked, “What will you give to the University? You are going to be getting a lot during your time here, what will you do to give back?”

I thought that was a Most Excellent Question, one that I suspect most of us don’t think about very often when it comes to college. We think about getting an education, making new friends, preparing for a career. We might think about working a part time job or even volunteering. We might even think about volunteering without consideration to how it will eventually look good on a resume. But I don’t know that we often think about Giving Back to the School.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I went to college at a more jaded (differently jaded?) time (I’m sure I did, come to think of it).

The Dean encouraged everyone to consider ways to give back and make the school a better place than it is today. She talked about a variety of ways to do that—I’m sure there are a zillion more that she didn’t have time for or hasn’t considered yet.

As you think about the excitement of getting ready to go to college, it’s worth giving the Dean’s question a moment or two. More importantly, as you begin school in the fall, it’s a good question to tuck in the back of your brain. No one expects you to solve all the world’s problems your first day of class. But finding ways to make the world better, to repair all the rips and tears, is important.

Keep in mind the good that comes from putting your hand to what you find.

Hope Day Two is as good as Day One,

Love, Mom