The college carousel has finally stopped in the Barry house.
Through the process Scott has learned a lot about himself and what he wants in life. He also has learned a few other valuable lessons along the way.
He has amassed quite a collection of letters from various colleges offering this or that and each proclaiming to be the best. Most offered some form of scholarship and some were cleverly packaged. One from a pharmacy school came in a faux prescription bottle.
My favorite ones were embossed in gold leaf and quietly screamed super expensive, only they used words like exclusive, premier and elite. Most of those schools were also out-of-state.
Scott learned to look deeper than the brightly colored, slick brochures and research each college. He focused on student to teacher ratio, overall student satisfaction and the quality of education they offered. Being somebody on campus with a name and not just a number and a checkbook were most important to him.
Growing up and actually making a decision without mom and dad’s assistance also was a factor. This is the beginning of his adult life and he needed to make a decision he was comfortable with.
We toured several campuses and one stood out head and shoulders above the rest. The college reached out to him and talked to him on a personal level, several faculty called or emailed and one very persuasive alum took time out of his busy schedule to meet with him.
Before finally naming his choice, Scott asked if he could commit to one college and keep applying to others to see if they would offer him a full scholarship.
Now I know things don’t work like this is in today’s society, but I informed him that was not ethical. I explained that by doing that he could conceivably deprive another student of that scholarship.
I told him that he is only as good as his word and despite all that he sees in the world, one thing still rings true. Your word is your bond and once you make a commitment you stick with it. It’s not always the easiest thing to do, but it’s the right thing.
Oh and Scott, he’s decided to attend Millsaps College in the fall.
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Paul Barry is the managing editor and can be reached by email at paul.barry@vicksburgpost.com or by phone at 601-636-4545 ext. 123.