Inspire, Fall/Winter 2009

this was just the beginning of a long series of revelations I had regarding the quality of people within the Cedarville community. When August finally rolled around, I was beside myself with excitement. I resolved to make the most of my experience by getting involved in as much as I could. But I quickly learned that college is different from high school — you might want to do everything, but you can’t! As much as I would like to say I adjusted seamlessly to college life, I didn’t. Establishing solid relationships as well as navigating the world of academia proved challenging. However, after about two months, I rebounded from the initial shock and began integrating into University life. Being heavily involved in leadership in high school, I wanted to run for freshman class president and did so successfully. I was also elected the freshman representative for homecoming court. These two milestones, especially being elected president, encouraged me to stretch myself even further and focus on becoming a servant-leader. Serving as class president provided me with many opportunities to interact with the faculty and staff at Cedarville. They were always willing to help in any way possible, and I was continually astounded by their passion and love for students. I found that professors are willing to take time from their busy schedules to converse over coffee, office workers are delighted to help plan an event, and members of the administration will stop you on the sidewalk and address you by name. These interactions gave me a small glimpse into what makes Cedarville an extraordinary place and distinguishes it from many other universities. The first semester went by so rapidly I could not believe it was drawing to a close. As I sat in Chuck’s one morning watching the sun cast its yellow beams on the frozen lake, I began to reflect on my first semester. It had been full of victories and defeats, and because of them I was already becoming a different person, someone more concerned about others than himself and someone who, with all of his heart, wanted to fully discover himself and the plan his Father has for him. READY FOR THE FUTURE Early in my second semester, I was privileged to be a part of Cedarville’s second Civil Rights Bus Tour. What an incredible, eye-opening experience! Along with nearly 30 students and faculty members, we traveled by double-decker bus into the Deep South to retrace the key events of the Civil Rights Movement. After visiting museums and watching poignant movies and documentaries while on the road, I was heartbroken by what we saw. As a group diverse in nationality and skin color, we all were confronted and challenged by the complexities of racial reconciliation and the issues we still face within the church today. I have learned there is no such thing as a slow semester. The second half of my freshman year was a whirlwind of activities, events, and studying. I was re-elected class president and began developing new ideas and ministry opportunities for the next year. Throughout my first year at Cedarville, I saw many themes woven through the classroom, chapels, and University family: quality, concern, excellence, and a desire to dream and go beyond the status quo. These themes are built upon those who came before me and will lay the foundation for those who come after me. I intend to relish the years ahead and, when I graduate, leave Cedarville as a true servant-leader. Grant Miller ’12 is a political communication major from Trenton, Kentucky. You may contact him at tgrantmiller@cedarville.edu . Since the writing of this article, Grant’s mother was diagnosed with stage-four liver cancer. Despite the difficulty of the situation, Grant sees it as an opportunity to learn to empathize with others and rely on Christ for direction and provision. Please pray for Grant and his family as they face this trial together. i my cedarv i l le