The Fiery Furnance Part II
When I came here as a prospective student, during accepted students weekend the spring of my senior year of HS, the Dean of the College, Paul Burgett, gave us "The Fiery Furnace" speech. It was all about the challenges one faces in college, and how you should test yourself: personally, the bounds of your knowledge, the reaches of your abilities, and the stretches of your passions. It was so eloquent and so moving. It made me so excited to take on this journey of college, complete with its self discovery and the expansion of my intellectual horizons.
Five years later. I feel I have been thrown into the fiery furnace several times over and have come out on the other side, all the stronger and wiser.
Last week, at the Take Five Scholars reception, Paul Burgett, who is now the Vice President of the University, was talking to a handle of us students. The topic of the fiery furnace speech came up. He told us how he has been developing a fiery furnace speech part II to give at graduation, as we all go out into the real world. We begged him to tell it to us. "No, no. Not now. I need to get into the mindset first. How about I take you all out to lunch next week and I can tell you then?"
Lunch today. VP Burgett took said handful of us to lunch at The Meliora. The conversation ran up and down from Nascar to our culture of fear. Finally, as we were got our dessert, I said, "I hate to change the subject, but I'm dying to hear The Fiery Furnace Part II!" I wish he would write it down and publish it. I would ask for an autographed copy. I cannot do it justice here, but I wanted to note down the most important parts, for my own future reference.
You should do two things in the decade of your twenties:
1) Finish your formal education
2) Get your first job
-What you don't for your first job doesn't really matter as much as what you do for your third job.
-Don't get married right away, embrace the freedom you have to yourself, and take the time to explore your opportunities. Do so freely- this will be the only time you'll have to do so.
This is the time where you don't know what you can't do, so you think you can do everything. With this zeal, try all that you can, and believe that you can succeed.
Expect disappointment. But don't let it hold you back.
These Three Things are the keys to a successful life:
1) Ability to invent
2) Willingness to work hard
3) Luck. As in, being in the right place at the right time, and knowing it.
And if you're trying to dodge the draft, join the army band. And if they don't need a flute player, but they do need a tuba player. You better learn to play the tuba!!
Even if you don’t have a certain skill or ability, you do have the skill and ability to learn how and to figure it out. This will serve you well.
Success is a combination of PASSION and OPPORTUNITY.
I am thankful for all that the fiery furnace of U of R has taught me. Now I look forward to going headfirst and prepared into the fiery furnace part II of my life.
Five years later. I feel I have been thrown into the fiery furnace several times over and have come out on the other side, all the stronger and wiser.
Last week, at the Take Five Scholars reception, Paul Burgett, who is now the Vice President of the University, was talking to a handle of us students. The topic of the fiery furnace speech came up. He told us how he has been developing a fiery furnace speech part II to give at graduation, as we all go out into the real world. We begged him to tell it to us. "No, no. Not now. I need to get into the mindset first. How about I take you all out to lunch next week and I can tell you then?"
Lunch today. VP Burgett took said handful of us to lunch at The Meliora. The conversation ran up and down from Nascar to our culture of fear. Finally, as we were got our dessert, I said, "I hate to change the subject, but I'm dying to hear The Fiery Furnace Part II!" I wish he would write it down and publish it. I would ask for an autographed copy. I cannot do it justice here, but I wanted to note down the most important parts, for my own future reference.
You should do two things in the decade of your twenties:
1) Finish your formal education
2) Get your first job
-What you don't for your first job doesn't really matter as much as what you do for your third job.
-Don't get married right away, embrace the freedom you have to yourself, and take the time to explore your opportunities. Do so freely- this will be the only time you'll have to do so.
This is the time where you don't know what you can't do, so you think you can do everything. With this zeal, try all that you can, and believe that you can succeed.
Expect disappointment. But don't let it hold you back.
These Three Things are the keys to a successful life:
1) Ability to invent
2) Willingness to work hard
3) Luck. As in, being in the right place at the right time, and knowing it.
And if you're trying to dodge the draft, join the army band. And if they don't need a flute player, but they do need a tuba player. You better learn to play the tuba!!
Even if you don’t have a certain skill or ability, you do have the skill and ability to learn how and to figure it out. This will serve you well.
Success is a combination of PASSION and OPPORTUNITY.
I am thankful for all that the fiery furnace of U of R has taught me. Now I look forward to going headfirst and prepared into the fiery furnace part II of my life.