Graduation

Missouri S&T, Rolla, Missouri

My son graduated from college yesterday afternoon.  I surprised myself by finding myself misty-eyed as the graduates marched in.  For some silly reason, I didn't think the ritual would move me.  The schedule called for a two hour ceremony, stretching across lunch.  The bleachers were old, hard pine, designed for shorter people than myself and the proud parents sitting behind me.

Somehow, once the 667 graduates filed into the gym, all that didn't matter.  I found myself praying that the school had lived up to its reputation; that they had done their job well when preparing these young adults for the challenges of the professional world they are about to enter.

Rolla is an engineering school - over 80% of the graduates are in one engineering discipline or another.  The twin threats of global warming and ever-scarcer resources loom large on our horizon.  These are the people the rest of us are depending on to figure out an response to the threats.  They will design and build us more efficient buildings, cars and airplanes.  They will search out how to use new materials when the supply of the familiar ones runs short(er).   They will figure out a way to do all this without further upsetting the fragile balance of the ecosystem. 

Congratulations!  Go get 'em!  and, Godspeed...