I don’t know. That’s the go to answer when a parent or family member asks you who ate the last cookie in the cookie jar or who made your younger sibling cry. It is so easy in this scenario for you to say “I don’t know,” even if you do know. For some reason, I have found that the words “I don’t know” are taboo when people ask you if you are going to college, where you are going to college, or what you are going to major in. I always pretended that I knew the answers to all of those questions. In reality, deep down inside, I was telling myself “I don’t know” to everything. At the end of June, after my senior year had ended, I was still didn’t know if I was going to college in the fall.
Then someone reminded me that I put in a lot of hard work to get to where I was. The opportunity of attaining a college education was at the top of a mountain, and it took eighteen years to get there. That is where you are right now—at the top of a mountain. The climb came with hardships, slips, and falls—but you used your courage, perseverance, tenacity, and dedication to get to the summit. Remember all of the countless hours studying, doing homework, participating in extracurricular activities, applying to colleges, and studying for the SAT? You found a way to balance all of these things in your life and it paid off.
The hours that you spent waiting for an acceptance letter to your dream school felt like they lasted forever, but the wait was worth it because you are finally here at the top. Now everyone is looking at you as you stand on top of that mountain because you are on your way to attaining a college education from Gonzaga University.
If you are at the top, then that must mean you are done, right? Slowly you begin to wonder where you should go or what you should do. Then, you tell yourself, “I don’t know”. I am here to tell you that everything is going to be just fine. At this point in time, it is perfectly okay to not know.
Take a seat. You are going to be here on Gonzaga’s mountaintop for the next four years. The beautiful sight of happy communities below the mountain takes ahold of your vision. There are families in churches listening to preachers, children in schools learning from brilliant teachers, cities and towns led by inspirational leaders, bridges and buildings being designed by engineers, and so much more. You can’t wait to contribute and be a part of those happy communities. Open your eyes, mind, and heart to the view that you see from the top of the mountain—suddenly something catches your eye
You start to look closer and you see a little girl walking down the street holding onto half a box of crackers and teddy bear with one of its legs missing. Your eyes see how lack of nutrition have taken a toll on her small body. There is a spark inside of you that tells you to do something.
Next, a man wearing a yellow coat, standing under the bridge he calls home comes into your view. Your mind tells you his yellow coat is worn and torn from the earth’s elements, the same elements that have broken homes, churches, schools, and buildings that have been struck by natural disasters. You see the devastation and destruction that people have had to face. The spark you felt earlier is further ignited by what your mind tells you to do.
Then lastly, you see how differences in politics and religion have divided various communities and caused wars in others. The faces of friends and families who have lost loved ones through these divisions come slowly come to your view. Your heart can feel their pain and suffering. There is a fire in your heart that calls you to do something about what your eyes see, mind tells you, and heart feels. From the top of Gonzaga’s mountain, you find purpose.
Take this view in. The whole view, and don’t let it go because at the end of your four years at the top of Gonzaga’s mountain you will find what you are called to do. You have begun to see the world and have realized it is much bigger than you are. It is more than just you and a college education now at the top of the mountain.
A liberal arts education laced with philosophy, religion, history, mathematics, science, and English will open your eyes, mind, and heart and guide you to fulfilling your purpose when you descend Gonzaga’s mountain and enter the communities you saw from the top. I wish someone had told me that before I took a seat on Gonzaga’s mountaintop.
I have no doubts that you will find purpose at Gonzaga if you take the time to reflect upon what your education opens your eyes, mind, and heart to. I believe in you and so does the family you have just become a part of. Gonzaga’s students, staff, and faculty are waiting to embrace you with arms wide open and welcome you to this university. We believe that YOU will do great things in the future.
Get ready to take in everything from the top of the mountain, because this is just the beginning.
Best of luck,
Yachana Bhakta
Program GUide II
GUide Core