Jonathon told me, today, that he had received an invitation to become a Saluki Mentor.

‘ The Saluki Mentor Network is an online platform designed to connect students with faculty and staff as well as SIU alumni for academic and career mentorship.  Powered by Wisr, the Saluki Mentor Network creates opportunities for students to identify a mentor or become a member of a mentor community.’     SIU Career Development Center

‘Why is having a mentor important?  A mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor.  As students navigate the college experience and begin to think about entering the world of work, they need just that.  Research shows that students are much more successful, both during and after college, when they have a mentor.’    SIU Career Development Center

Now is the time to become a mentor and a friend to an SIUC student.

Indeed…our enrollment is down…but it is much better than the original forecast that I read.

The habit of being a casual observer and a quiet fan of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale…has long past.

We must become actively immersed in the paramount project of our lives and the success of our region…the academic success and the social success and the overall wellbeing of our most valuable citizens…our students!

There is no endeavor that is more vital than for each member of the SIUC community…and each member of the Carbondale community…and for each member of the Southern Illinois community…to make it their mission and to adopt a student and cause them to feel appreciated and welcome and an integral member of a vibrant and exciting community of scholars and friends.

A fulfilling manner of life at Southern is to, ‘Work like you don’t need the money, love like you’ve never been hurt and dance like no one is watching.’   Teach Me Life

So many times, when I felt compelled to advocate for those who had no voice, I ‘spoke truth to power’   and I was desperately afraid and I lost sleep and I was certain that I would never reach retirement.

But I spoke.

And, never for myself.

I wanted our university to succeed.

We are on the right track…we are not going to succumb to the our own negative feelings and the broken dreams of others.

We are going to break out of our comfortable shell…and reach out to others…and finally decide that our university is not about us individually…but our community!