OhmygoodnessI'mgoingtoschool!

"Why, I wondered, could so many in our own country not see what these Iraqis saw, that the way through these difficult times is to embrace an education that frees the students to imagine a world in which they are capable of intelligent self-rule but also prepared to make their way in a world of uncertainty and change, a world that will respect independent, thinking souls who are flexible enough and self-sufficient enough to find their way happily through the day’s vicissitudes? Why could so many here not see the need to struggle with the big questions: Who am I? What kind of world do I live in, and what is my place in it? What am I meant to do with my life? After all, these are big questions because they concern the whole of the human experience.

The world will always drive us to specializations and to careers that are highly focused on just a part of the human experience. Better to join that world, prepared with an education that allows us to have some idea of the whole project we call humanity. Unless we understand what it means to be human, unless we can get a glimpse of the whole of the human question before studying one or two of its parts, we can never confront for ourselves freely and intelligently the question how to live our lives well, how to live lives that belong to each of us. To do this we need to have some understanding of our physical world, the chemistry and behavior of living things, the forces affecting non-living bodies, our political world and some history of our race, the world of our intellect and our imagination, and our need to nourish the spirit. We cannot choose a life for ourselves freely without having just a little more understanding of these possibilities than we have before we enter college."

Convocation Address 2010 by President Nelson, St. John's College Annapolis

Sweet. I've officially begun my college application process. I am not only applying for St. John's. There are other colleges on my mind that I can see myself attending, where I think I would be able to thrive and enjoy the experience. I've surrendered every desire to the Lord, and I will strive to live everyday fully-- whatever I find my hand to do I will do with all my might-- regardless of where I go.

I have also paid for and begun getting ready to attend Community College, beginning next month. The testing, application, and orientation process has been quite an adventure and there is evidence of God's guiding hand and ineffable peace throughout, which is incredibly encouraging to me. Going to school has been the desire of my heart for several years, but the timing hasn't been quite right until now. I feel like He really does want to satisfy the desires of my heart.

Sigh.