March 2, 2017 - Marking Accomplishments

            Shortly after I started working at CCSF, I started attending graduation ceremonies.  I highly recommend doing so to all my colleagues, even though I see the same faculty attending each year and the rotating administrations and college focus on the ceremony has changed.  (I liked it better when it was more homey and heartfelt with the Academic Senate President attending in tights ...)  The reason I keep going is because it is a milestone, not the actual journey but an acknowledgement of the passing of a point in a long journey for many people’s lives.  Contrary to speeches made it does not represent an end or a beginning just an important notation.  Yesterday was one of those in my trip.

            While the marker I am headed for is the southernmost Community College in the Florida Keys.  Yesterday Chris and I both traveled 40 miles out of our way just to see the Atlantic Ocean and celebrate the fact that I had made it from coast to coast.  Just like CCSF graduation it would not have been as meaningful if my family had not been there for me at the demarcation point.  And Just as in academic graduation I wish all of my other colleagues, family and friends could have been there as well.  You reading this are involved and important to this journey in the same way the college community is involved in our students.  You are not making the journey or the effort but your participation is in being witness to the attempt.  Thank you for your support, both direct and indirect.  This will not be the only milestone I will be marking, I expect in about a week or so to be making it to the tip of Key West and of course the biggest milestone is when I make it home again…. I plan on making it back to SF in time to attend CCSF graduation again this year.  Colleagues at CCSF please join me if you can so we can all celebrate together the accomplishments of our community.