Welcome visitors. Apparently your curiosity has gotten the better of you, that, or Coach Schieffer has assigned you to read it. Either way, I invite this opportunity, because unlike Coach Schieffer, I was not an overachiever at your age. For those of you struggling academically, I have to tell, we have a lot in common.
I intended to share my high school transcript with you this morning, but in my haste taking finals at Iowa State and preparing for the trip to Austin, I forgot it at home (Minus 10 points -Coach Schieffer). I wanted to share it with those of you who feel that they will never excel in school and can't achieve their dreams. I believe in all of you.
If my GPA was an episode of American Idol, it would be the season premiere where you tune in just to laugh at people as they embarrass themselves. What I and some of you have in common with the William Hung's of the world, is an untapped potential. We are all so much more capable than we give ourselves credit for. Sure our parents and our teachers think we should blossom into wonderful students at a prescribed time and that we should know what we want to do with our lives at the age of 18. Well, it doesn't work that way for everyone, but that doesn't mean it won't happen eventually.
For me, I had to join the Army at 18 to realize what I was capable of achieving. Clearly it is not for everybody, but it was for me. I spent four years on active duty, living in places like South Korea and Kuwait. I experienced different cultures and learned different traditions. I came out of the Army with a yearning to learn and enrolled at Iowa State University.
Most of the students around me took their education for granted and complained about reading and writing assignments. All I could think about was how staying up late to study was far better than staying up late pulling guard in a tower when it is 10 degrees out and you have not had a hot meal or a shower in 30 days.
After my first two years at Iowa State, I was deployed with my National Guard unit to Iraq for 16 months. Although the deployment set my formal education back, it gave the the opportunity to independently research different areas of planning that I might not have had the opportunity to read about in class, like the the latest in sustainability initiatives. Having the freedom to learn on your own should not be underestimated. I came back to campus in the fall of 2007 with more information on green technologies than my professors.
This past Saturday(May 9th), I graduated with a degree in Community and Regional Planning from Iowa State University. It took me 10 years from the day of my high school graduation to realize this dream, but it was worth it. I reflect on my times as teenager where I couldn't envision such a day and I think about times where I wanted to quit when it seemed too difficult. I did it and I know all of you can do it too.
The transcript that I forgot sat above my desk throughout my time at Iowa State. I glanced at periodically, embarrassed at the number of F's and Incomplete grades it contained. I channeled the embarrassment into motivation that powered me through the late-night study sessions and 20 page term papers. For those of you who feel they can relate, I invite you to put your report card up where you can see it. Let it spark the flame within you that is just waiting to be lit.
