I attended the college graduation ceremony of one of my former private music students today, and I was so proud of her accomplishments. She diligently applied herself, graduating with cum laud stats. She is one of the lucky few who have been working in a full-time job before she finished her senior year.

As I looked out over approximately 600 graduates at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay, I wondered how many of these newly- minted graduates have jobs waiting for them. There are so many fields for them to consider, but how many actual job openings are there with our economy like it is to date? Many of the traditional jobs are filled with experienced workers. I pondered how many of these graduates are going to be under weighty loans for years to come, so that their American dream may never be reached? After the celebrations have ended and every champagne bottle has been emptied, will these young people be able to see, hear, feel, and touch what needs to be done to cure our world of its pain and struggles? Will they realize that man can do only so much, but God can change what needs to be changed? I hope and pray that they will follow His paths, not man’s.

The graduation speaker has accomplished many things in her lifetime. I was impressed by her comment that 50% of this class are the first in their families to graduate from college. They have proven that they “can go the distance. Now, they must move out into the world to make it a better place, to never give up on themselves, and to always find ways to help others.” In our troubled times where division and anger have torn us apart as a nation, we must remember that we heal by helping others, not by putting ourselves first.

I applaud the speaker for bringing attention to the divisions in our country without politicizing the issue. As many cultures were highlighted in this ceremony, it was quite evident that DEI policies, sponsored by the current Administration, are not a part of the university’s philosophy. I do wonder how this class will respond to an America where so many challenges await all of us and where there seems to be no respect for human dignity, for the truth, and for the rule of law. Although there were national problems in 1974, the world I graduated into was very different from today. With God’s help, I pray that our nation will “go the distance” to change what needs to be done to make our nation a better place to live in.

For my precious graduate, she has earned my respect and love for  what she has accomplished in college and for all that she will accomplish in her new life. She will make the world a more beautiful place not just for her work ethics but for the beautiful smile that bubbles out from her heart. Her flute melodies that haunted my heart will become a symphony of beautiful harmonies, encouraging the world to be better as we do things for one another. She is a child of God, and He will always walk beside her. As the poem says, there is only one set of footprints behind her in the sand, and that set belongs to Jesus Christ.

Anna Hartt