A New School Year

And so senior year has begun.  Classes are in full swing and I think I've finally gotten my Student Ambassador script down about how great the "You of A" is as I begin my second week of tours.

It doesn't seem that long ago that I drove up to Arkansas to move in before Early Week for marching band, nor does it seem like it was almost ten years ago that I made my first trip to Fayetteville when my brother took his first tour of campus.  It was on that first drive to Arkansas that I not only noticed the beauty of the mountainous Ozarks, but also all of the highway construction that lasted literally from Lewisville to Fayetteville.  Whether it was the expansion of SH 121 into a toll road or the repaving of I-40 and US 69 that run through Oklahoma (which I swear to God that they had been repaving the same part of US 69 ever since Eric started going here), my entire trek was filled with road construction.  Although it would at times provide some sort of excitement through the monotony that is driving through Oklahoma, most of the time it was just a pain that made an already long drive even longer.  

As the years went on though, more and more of these roads would be completed. SH 121 (Now Sam Rayburn Tollway) was finished my sophomore year and on my drive up a few weeks ago all of the other construction projects through Oklahoma and Arkansas were also complete.  These long term projects have finally come to a close as my own long term project, graduating from college, starts to come to a close.  It's too early for me to start moving the metaphorical construction cones and warning signs as I still have one more year left, but as I do prepare myself for the long goodbye that is Senior Year, I do hope that it's filled with many unforgettable moments and few regrets.  

Jeremy Ryan Page           

A Look Back

A few weeks ago, I went to Six Flags and a few of my fellow interns convinced me to go onto the Superman: Tower of Power ride which looking back is analogous to my summer at Project Transformation.  Before I got onto the ride, I had concerns about whether it would be a good idea or not for me to do this.  I wasn't sure if it was the best use of my time as there were so many other rides I might have liked better or maybe would have been a better fit for me.  Although I had these fears, I still moved forward in line knowing deep down that I should do it.  Instead of starting out slow, the ride almost immediately blasts you 300 feet into the air.  This shocking push was reminiscent of the first weeks of PT where I along with the other interns were bombarded with 12 hour days of training where we learned everything from how to complete component sheets to how to treat spiders up children's noses.

Although my eyes were closed out of fear during the ascent, once we reached the stop and paused, I could see the beauty of Dallas and Fort Worth like I've never seen before.  That great feeling I experienced at the top of the Superman ride I felt so many times during the summer.  Whether it was trash can pranks, interpretive dancing to Colors of the Wind, membership in the Finer Things Club, the sleepover with the St. Mark's Sharks ("THIS IS IT!"), the PB&J clique at Adventure Week, or just the special moments I experienced everyday at Chapel Hill with the best team ever was what made this summer so great.

After you go through a couple of free falls, you realize that the ride is about to be finished a lot sooner than you think it should be.  You realize that although the beginning seemed so long, the ride was brief.  When you get off, you look up and realize where you were those past few minutes and understand for the first time the heights you achieved.  Project Transformation was not without its free falls, but looking back it was such a spectacular summer that stretched me in so many ways and allowed me to reach new heights.

Lots of changes happened this summer that reminded me that even though I was in the PT bubble, life was still going on elsewhere in the world.  Whether it be a pastor transition, TV shows ending, a high school  getting demolished, or new relationships formed, I realize that these are but the first of many changes that  will happen in the upcoming year as I enter into my last year of college.

-Jeremy Ryan Page