We Are Shipwrecked No More; Tina Is Admitted to Claremont McKenna

O, wonder!
How many goodly creatures are there here!
How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world,
That has such people in't! - Miranda in The Tempest, Act Five, Scene 1.

Oftentimes we feel shipwrecked by the choices we make. The sails we trusted to get us to where we needed tear; the compass breaks; the wind blow against us; or we run asunder. We spend more time bailing out the hull than we do enjoying the ride.

And yet we still set course, knowing all the while that with each passing nautical mile, we might come closer to a safe harbor where weary might rest together once more.

When we first made that journey out from our native Bay State, the likelihood that we would keep it together seemed remote. We were, after all, thousands of miles from one another.

We broke up, believing it better to “keep our options open” than to drift through the uncertain waters together. We made this decision because we believe that others could set our path.

But rudderless ships, lacking first mates, are often derelict, and I asked you aboard once more to be more than my first mate, but my co-captain. Despite the siren's songs, we have never looked back.

Congratulations on being admitted to Claremont McKenna College, Tina.

You’ll find the natives occasionally carnivorous, but well-meaning. The weather is always fantastic and your crew, why, your crew is the best, brightest, and most compassionate folks you’re ever likely to meet.

So welcome. Come aboard. Shall we lay a new course? After all, we've always set them together.