Congrats to the Graduate!

The youngest Bolte has successfully acquired a BA degree from a prestigious institution of learning. I was there to witness it! It makes a parent proud to hear the name of your child called out to thousands attending the commencement ceremonies after 4 years of hard study and special experiences that can only be obtained from a college adventure. "Jordan Thomas Bolte"! Way to go dude!

Five hundred and sixty students graduated from Taylor University this past Saturday morning. Tami, Caitlin, and I joined my Mom & Dad, plus Bethany's family, as we sat amongst the masses. We had reserved seating - mainly because Jordan was this year's Student Body President. As we were seated and waiting for the proceedings to begin, three people stepped into the row in front of us and proceeded to take their seats. I kid you not - these people had to hail from the "land of the giants"! Midway through the commencement, I mustered up the nerve to ask the young man directly in front of me, "How tall are you?" Get this: 6' 10"!! Six feet, ten inches!! I can't see squat in front of me! His father, 6' 5", sat next to him! I'm guessing that his mom was about six feet! So much for the reserved seating... Luckily there were large screens available that allowed me to see over Goliath & Crew...

Future LA Lakers Star!

I heard a reputable news agency recently report that only 25% of this year's college grads will find jobs. It sounds like an uphill battle for Jordan & Bethany. They are actively looking across the country for appropriate employment - but it's not an easy task in this economy... millions of people can attest to this. Jordan majored in Biblical Literature and Bethany in Media Communications. Pray for jobs people... Pray!

Two Happy Graduates!

I really am proud of Jordan's accomplishments. He has demonstrated wonderful leadership and relational skills. I suspect that they will land jobs soon, and the next chapter in their lives will be off and running. Keep up the good work JB... you have much, much potential. But, next time you invite me to a big event, can you get me some better seats....

Planning for the Future...

Arrived in Upland, IN, yesterday evening. Drove 7.5 hours from Huntsville to the land of Taylor University where our son, Jordan, and his fiance, Bethany, are completing their senior year. They both are on schedule to graduate in May, 2010. We will spend today with them, attend church together Sunday AM, and then head back to sweet home Alabama. The weather here is great. Even though Upland is about 1 hour NE of Indianapolis, it's warmer here than it is in Huntsville, Alabama! The sun is bright, the sky is blue, and the wind is brisk. But the most obvious difference is the flatness of the land. This contributes to the ever present breeze blowing through the many rows of corn stalks. Cell phone towers are not very tall here - there's no need to be.

Jordan & Bethany look great! We haven't seen Jordan since we helped him move into his on-campus apartment last August. He rooms with 3 other students. It's definitely a "guy's apartment". Amazingly, the abode looked quite clean and presentable. Maybe he knew Mom and Dad were coming to visit?? Perhaps a surprise weekend visit might me more appropriate and telling....? Then again, some things are better left alone...

I wouldn't call Upland, IN, a wild and crazy party town. It's more like they plopped a conservative liberal arts Christian college right in the middle of a big corn field. There's not much to do here unless you drive via I-69 to Muncie, Ft. Wayne, or Anderson, IN. And with gas costing $2.69 / gallon, college students don't go far. So, Taylor does a good job creating activities on-campus each night and weekend. In fact, last night all four of us visited a student photo exhibit in the exhibition hall. A young female student was displaying beautiful large color and B & W photos of the people of Uganda that she took during her last visit there. They were gorgeous! Tami bought one... surprised?

This was also the first time we've seen Jordan & Bethany since their engagement. They both seem very happy. Bethany's ring is beautiful. It looks much better on her in person than it does via the internet. She will make a beautiful bride! While they are still completing school assignments, building relationships, planning a wedding, and fulfilling leadership roles at school, they are obviously thinking about the details of "life after graduation". Things will be different, no doubt. They will no longer be two, but one. Yet they both will have their own goals, expectations, and desires. A strong union and partnership is one that considers and yields to the other for the benefit of the whole. It's exciting to watch and listen to them think and dream out loud!

They both have a set of loving parents & family firmly behind them. We will always be there for them... no strings attached! In today's world, the future is more uncertain than it has been in quite a while. But, family has your back... We are anxiously looking forward to seeing what lies ahead for J & B. I hope they will always remember how much we love them both.

Do's & Don'ts for a Senior

In about 10 days, our son Jordan, will be headed off to begin his senior year at Taylor University, near Indianapolis. I've been thinking about what I would like to tell him before he leaves. You know, something wise and brilliant... something fatherly and discerning.... something that he will always remember and even share with others. After all, he was elected the school's Student Body President (SBP) for 2009/2010. So, he needs some practical & tactical advice from the person he admires the most in this world: Dad! (Maybe that last part was a bit over the top....)

So here are a few Do's and Don'ts that are chocked full of years of experience, value and usefullness for the new President:

• Don't participate in, let alone organize, any campus-wide pantie raids


• Don't let people bash the South - maybe you're one of only 2 students from Alabama


• Don't let your SBP duties negatively effect your grades - after all, we are still paying gobs of money for this final year of education.


• Don't stay up all night playing "Lord of the Ring" Risk, and then miss your first Board Meeting with the Taylor Administration.


• Don't forget to call home every once in a while to see how Mom & Dad are doing, and to recharge your confidence.


• Don't hesitate to begin looking for a new job - jobs are scarce - start networking now!
  

• Do remember to check your fly before you get up to give speeches or address an audience - you don't want to be remembered as the Taylor SBP that had the "wardrobe malfunction".


• Do things that will represent the majority of the students - you can't please everyone, but you can listen to many diverse opinions.


• Do put people ahead of projects. People will remember you - projects won't.


• Do strike the right balance between faculty, administration, and student relationships.


• Do have fun your last year of college - being SBP is a wonderful responsibility and honor, but fully experiencing the senior year of college is a treat in itself.
• Do keep in mind that there's always enough time to do the right thing!


• Do always remember how proud your parents are of you... really!!

There you go.... maybe not priceless, but certainly worth sharing with your room mates, at least. Don't forget to call.....