A Little Help

We all need a little help when we're learning to fly.  Juniper is a great student, even if I am only a mediocre teacher.  Be yourself and things will turn out okay.

Today I had the privilege of attending a graduation ceremony at the Oregon State Penitentiary.  Approximately 50 men received GEDs and Associate Degrees - obtained through the College Inside Program that Chemeketa Community College facilitates in partnership with the Oregon Department of Corrections.  It's an amazing journey, made possible through dedicated faculty, supportive administrators, persistent students and gracious private donors.

I had the honor of helping to confer degrees and asking the graduates to turn their tassels from the right to the left, signifying the recognition of earning their degrees.  What an incredible group of people. 

Education.  It's perhaps the single most powerful force that can truly change the world we live in.  I've seen this to be true in my own life, in remote villages in Nicaragua,  and today, inside Oregon's largest maximum security prison.  Still learning to fly.