Kudos to Sarah

It's hard to believe that my high school best friends and I graduated more than 20 years ago. Last week time really hit home when I received a graduation announcement from Sarah, the daughter of one of my high school best friends. Like Monica, Jo Anna and I, she will be graduating from New Albany High School and like me, she'll be headed off to college in the fall. I can still remember the thoughtful gift basket Jo Anna, Sarah's mother, gave me as a going away present: a laundry basket full of practical items I'd need in dorm life. Jo Anna and I splintered off in totally opposite directions during our early years into adulthood but the ties were never severed. She and I are still very close friends despite the 800 miles separating us and I'm just as proud of her daughter as she is.

I've watched Sarah grow up and blossom into a beautiful young woman with intelligence and talent. It is her intelligence and talent that will lead her to Ball State University, Dave Letterman's alma mater, and coincidentally, one of the schools I considered back in 1984. Sarah was accepted to other schools, including Boston University, but she was particularly drawn to BSU's art program. Sarah's most prominent talent is in art and that is what she has chosen to pursue. When she was 15 years old, she was commissioned to paint this mural by a homeowner. It is the wall lining their backyard.

Kudos and best of luck to Sarah!