"Mine. Yours. Ours."
©2006

S. Purcell Woodard, Ph.D
Associate Director
McNair Program and Early Identification Program
University of Washington
E-mail:  swoodard@u.washington.edu

Mine. Yours. Ours.

Mine is the voice of transition.
My overall mission:
Help you envision
New dimensions
Of academic excellence.

Yours is the story of well-earned success.
You push
On the boundaries of what is,
And what can be.
To see
You in action is to witness
The power of community
And imagination.
You are a combination
Of family, culture,
And knowledge attained across the ages.

Ours is the stuff of legends.
Be sure to heed this suggestion:
Do not be seduced by your elite status.
The fact is,
You must be purposeful in your actions.
Engage your faculty.
Seek out the wisdom of staff.
Encourage and support your peers.
Ask critical questions of us,
And of yourselves.

Mine. Yours. Ours.

One final observation before we close.
Know that you stand at a crossroad.
Should you choose the path of diversity scholar,
Of U.W.
Trust that, along with your family,
We will always stand with you.

We wish you well,
As you finalize your plans,
And choose.
Know that we are humbled
And honored to meet all of you.

You are invited to join AE Extra staff!
Send your ideas and/or writing sample to the Editor-in-chief:
Elizabeth Haller
Kent State University (e-mail: editoraee@hotmail.com)

Academic Exchange Extra invites reader response to any writings in this issue--especially articles advancing the scholarly debate of issues raised.