Campus Retrospect

For many, Commencement is a time for reflection. It is in this spirit that the Register sought to learn what various personalities may or may not have done differently had they known then what they know now about being a recent college graduate.

Larry Dowdy

Dean of Students

Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

If I knew then what I know now when I graduated from college ... "I would have spent a year overseas and in a new culture much earlier in my career, learned to dance earlier, read more widely outside of my professional discipline, written more letters and donated more blood."

Gary R. Gibson

University Registrar

If I knew then what I know now when I graduated from college ... "I would have spent more time with my wife and family; encouraged young people more; sought to understand the Serenity Prayer earlier; praised the parents, teachers, colleagues and friends who influenced my life; counted my blessings more often and rested in the concept that a good name is better than riches."

Randy Johnson

Men's Soccer Coach

If I knew then what I know now when I graduated college ... "I would have become a high school teacher sooner than I did. I was getting out of graduate school, and was expecting to go to Vietnam. But when the war ended, my plans changed. At the time, I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do."

Alison Piepmeier

Lecturer in Women's Studies

If I knew then what I know now when I graduated from college ... "My boyfriend [now husband] and I would have traveled the country longer than we did. After I graduated college, I took the summer off and traveled the country for a month. We camped, stayed with friends, relatives, friends of relatives and anyone else we could scrounge up a relationship with. We took rolls and rolls of pictures, saw national parks and had a truly wonderful time on a very limited budget. I thought at the time that it was a pretty good idea, and time has definitely proved that to be true. If I had known then just how memorable that trip would be, we would have stayed gone longer."

Bill Shain

Dean of Undergraduate Admissions

If I knew then what I know now when I graduated college ... "I would have worked harder to figure out what I loved doing and tried to plan a career related to that. Instead, it took a lot less reflection to attend law school and 'keep my options open,' so I did that. My detour into legal study simply delayed for some years my making a career in education. From my first day as a high school teacher, I felt an excitement the law never generated in me, and many years later, that passion is still with me."

Gay Welch

University Chaplain

Director of Religious Affairs

If I knew then what I know now when I graduated college ... "I would have slowed down, studied harder, played harder, relaxed more, eaten healthier, exercised more, ridden more horses, spent more time at the beach, gotten to know my professors better, gotten more involved in politics, moved to the country sooner, traveled farther, talked less, listened more. But, I would also probably have chosen the same friends and family I have now, studied the same subjects, lived in the same place and ended up doing the kind of work I do, and I just hope I would have remembered to be grateful for all that!"