On Thursday morning, I climbed aboard an old yellow school bus packed full of my junior concurrent enrollment students for a slow, bumpy ride to downtown Boise. There was a buzz of excitement during the drive, albeit mostly about being out of class for the day or the free all-you-can-eat lunch, but excitement none the less.
As we pulled on to University Drive and the campus came into view, I found myself filled with happy memories and that wishful feeling of wanting to come back and do it all over again. While I didn’t have a traditional college experience (living in the dorms, involvement in campus life), I loved going to class and learning new things. I liked reading through stacks of anthologies and taking part in class discussions. The experiences I had in college sharpened my vision and helped me think through what I cared about and why it mattered.
“Do you miss college?” they ask. I do.
On our campus tour, we tour the new honors college and learn about the coursework and special programs. We visit the library, exploring with the research librarians and playing in the maker space. We walk through buildings and peer in to the life of college students.
As we do, the conversations begin to shift. What colleges are they considering applying to in the fall? What majors sound interesting? What might they do with those majors? Should they apply for honors college? Play intermural sports? Join a sorority?
Perhaps the thing I love the most about being back here is the feeling of possibility. There’s a hopeful spirit underlying the work that is done on campus each day about what could happen tomorrow, who we might become, and how we could shape the world around us.
I feel lucky to be able to walk alongside my students in these moments as they begin to consider the future. I can’t wait to see who they turn out to be.
Both Sides of the Desk 