Dear Hesston College

As you are well aware I will be leaving you in just a few short days for your sister school, Eastern Mennonite University.

Before I go I’d like to thank you for some of the things you’ve done.

Thanks for employing the professors who made me laugh even on days I didn’t want to get up and go to class. Thanks for bringing me together with classmates that have changed my life. Thanks for pushing me to improve myself as a student and as a human.

Thank you for being you. I’ve enjoyed being here from day 1 to day 594.

Leaving you will be hard. I’m sure, looking back, I will remember the good and not the bad, and that will make you even more difficult to forget. Moving on I want to see you succeed. I want to see you grow and stay the loving community you are.

Let me share my hopes and dreams for you one last time.

First off, I hope you find your priorities. In my time here I have been startled to see how often you are conflicted over where to head next. Admissions and academics and athletics butt heads over who should be recruited, the campus is divided into cliques and walled groups and academic programs waste away for lack of attention. Students can see and feel this angst. Stop worrying so much about bringing in new students who don’t get along and pick something to stand for. If it is Mennonite education, so be it. If it is competitive athletic programs, so be it, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you can always do it all. Pick a road and take it. You can preserve your heart for community and your trust in God no matter where time takes you.

Secondly, trust yourself and your friends. It’s no secret these are hard times, for church schools and for higher education in general. Remember there are tens of thousands of people across the country and world who love you. Don’t let them slip away. Learn from the mistakes made by big sisters EMU and Goshen and reciprocate by sharing your unique perspectives with them and their students. You are a big player too. Don’t count yourself out and don’t distance yourself from the people who are the most similar to you.

Finally, find a new president who knows you and what you stand for. Times are changing across the globe but they are also changing here. Finding a new leader

who grew with you and knows you will make navigating the transitions of the changing world so much easier. With the right leader in place you can keep your dreams intact and still face the world. Finding the right man, woman, or child to lead the school is, in my mind, priority one for the next year.

And to my fellow students: Don’t forget to enjoy yourselves these last two-and-a-half weeks. It’s summertime, gas prices are low, and you are about to go everywhere. Remember the good times you’ve shared with friends–the classes, the repetitive meals, and everything else–and treasure the waning time you have left together. Make a few more memories. Stay up too late a few more times. Break a few more rules. These days may never come back, but they are here now.

Anyways, thanks Hesston. You’ve tried to make us global citizens, tried to make us more well rounded and better at research papers. Regardless of how successful you have been you have pointed us in the right direction and provided us with a community that can, and will, last for a lifetime.

Thank You.

Caleb Schrock-Hurst is a Sophomore at Hesston College where he works as a Writing Assistant, Ministry Assistant, and Horizon contributor. He would like to study everything, but when forced to choose selected English, History, and Music. Outside of academics his main interests are tennis, Bernie Sanders’ political campaign, the global church, and Arsenal Football Club. Feel free to contact him at caleb.schrock-hurst@hesston.edu or find him on campus if you wish to exchange verbal or physical blows. (Editor’s note: Caleb Schrock-Hurst’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Horizon staff or Hesston College.)