Essay by Virginia Rae, Ed.D, ’01, ’03, ’15
As a professor of business management & marketing for Lord Fairfax Community College and a 2001 (B.S.), 2003 (M.B.A.) and 2015 (Ed.D.) graduate of Shenandoah University, Dean Miles Davis, Ph.D., graciously asked me to share what has contributed to my success. That is a difficult question, because I do not consider myself as having yet arrived, but rather on a journey that is filled with as many failures as there are successes. So please, allow me to go deeper and write of the underlying beliefs that drive my life.
I believe that each and every one of us has a purpose for being here and that we must actively seek out that purpose and how best to fulfill it. This process often involves a great deal of silent reflection, prayer, education, character building, mentoring, patience and perseverance. It is a discovery journey with many pieces to a puzzle that frequently leaves us wondering what the picture will look like when all the pieces come together.
I believe that living in the United States, with all of its incredible diversity of thought, is a gift that is being neutralized out of fear, and we must work hard to protect it. We must be open to the opinions of others. For example, I would say: “Let me share with you what I really believe and why I walk the way that I do, and will you share with me what you really believe and why you walk the way that you do? May I tell you that I seek to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ and still learn meditation skills from the Buddhists with their 2,500 years of practice, or the love for the Earth from the Native Americans who have been its caretakers for thousands of years? Will you tell me your beliefs as a Muslim, Hindu or Shamanic people? I want to learn from you, and every other tradition and cultural difference that can make our world great.” When we neutralize our personal beliefs, we lose our convictions and with it our sense of rootedness as a human race in all its beauty and diversity.
I believe the greatest success one can achieve is a good name. When my family, friends, colleagues and the community hear my name, what images come to their minds? Am I known for honesty, faithfulness, kindness and respect? Am I known as one who does her best, takes responsibility for mistakes and is open to new ways of thinking? To have a good name is more precious than titles and great wealth, for a good name carries with it attributes that can only be earned through the formation of sound character and ethical choices.
Thank you Dean Davis and all the community of Shenandoah University who have contributed in such profound ways to my life journey.