There is a story among hitchhikers that rests on the verge of lore.
If you believe everything you read or hear, which I encourage for the future, the story goes that there was a young man in his mid-20s, of unknown European origin, who lost count of how many times he hitchhiked after more than 700.
The legend continues, his strategy was to sit down along a motorway, kick up his feet and read a good book while waiting for a ride to a destination of the driver’s choice.
When prompted as to what kind of people he expected to meet on the way, his response was concise, eloquent and vulgar. “The coolest [flipping] people,” he responded.
This outlook on life, approaching people with warmhearted optimism, is a fantastic way to live.
There are so many great people around us who the sooner we begin to understand the importance of developing relationships with, the better off we will be.
A great privilege in my life is to have moved around so much.
My first school was the University of Findlay and when I left, I could have never imagined how beneficial my time here would be.
I went to school there for three years and played varsity football but, far and away, the greatest benefit to my life was the connection I made with my faculty.
I currently sit on the precipice of a life altering event and know my first faculty played an essential role in my success.
My second school was Valencia College in Orlando, Fla.
Working at Disney World, I made countless friends but it was my faculty who most sincerely aided me.
A tremendous British-born, Cambridge-educated professor played as large a role as any in aiding my first move to England.
I must recognize a faculty member’s role in shaping my future.
While in England, I attended the University of Sheffield and had a tremendous set of faculty.
One man in particular reinvigorated my love of the ancient world.
As of Wednesday morning, this man’s contribution to my future is matched by only a few.
For anyone who is familiar with my views, I hold the University’s faculty in the highest regard.
In two years, I have failed to find a single faculty member who does not excel at their job. Our faculty is, far and away, the most exceptional collection of talent I have ever encountered.
Furthermore, my admiration for academics was only heightened when Robert Garland visited us to present on Julius Caesar.
It is my most sincere hope that Garland writes an inspiring autobiography to portray the non-conventional track to success in academia of which so many are destined.
When the time came to apply to graduate programs, I reached out to a Sheffield faculty member for suggestions within Britain.
He levied the most elevated praise upon the University of Manchester and an esteemed professor at that university.
Upon conversation with Garland, an independent reference was given to Manchester and that specific faculty member.
I was sold and began my application process. Supplying my references and support were faculty members from the University, as well as the University of Findlay.
My acceptance, this last Wednesday morning, to a Postgraduate Taught program at one of the top 50 universities in the world comes as the result of so many wonderful faculty members who have excelled at their jobs.
I have not had courses with some of these people in over five years but the relationships built were made for a lifetime.
The University’s most treasured commodity is its faculty.
Every moment spent engaging these wonderful people is a building block to a lifetime connection.
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