1985 – Fall ’21 Class Letter
1985 – Fall 2021 Class Letter
Class Agent:
HEATHER MCFADDEN BARRIE ’85/P’20
(262) 628-1377 / [email protected]
New school year! New journey! New lifelong friendships!
Fresh start, new beginnings, the Class of 2025 began that journey this fall!
We can all relate to “new.” God knows in the past 18 months that we need “new!” What a great time to reflect on our personal journey as Ripon College alumni, renewing that college spirit we had in our late teens and early twenties!
When I think of my life journey, I can easily sum it up in an acrostic using our alma mater! My College experience further developed my character which is exemplified by each of the words identified below. I am confident you can identify with it as well.
Let’s remember the Class of 2025 in our prayers as they begin their college journey. May their Ripon College experience continue to build their character by instilling all the words identified below in the life journey that awaits them!
Resilience “When the going gets tough…the tough get going!” You know it! Be resilient in the face of headwinds, challenges, and struggles that just make you want to throw in the towel! Resilience builds character and helps us endure the unprecedented.
Individualism At day’s end, we are all individuals that collectively join together to become a community. Individualism is so important to build our own character identifying who we are, what we become, and how we affect others. As we’ve all heard, you have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others!
Perseverance Who hasn’t had to persevere in some shape or form on our life journey! Rising from failures, overcoming adversity, and most importantly never giving up!
Optimism Think of all the synonyms for this – hope, confidence, encouragement, faith, positive energy. When we lose optimism, we become doubtful, hopeless, pessimistic, gloomy, or depressed. Keep feeding that optimism through the face of adversity and you will reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
Neighborly We need “neighborly” now more than ever! Taking care of one another like we’re all one big family. This is critical to enduring the challenges we face and the challenges we will continue to face in the future.
And so, in closing, I hope this letter finds you all charged and energized for a new year, new beginnings, new adventures – everything new! New is the key to enduring any challenge we face head on. Shake things up if you’re stuck. Reinvent yourself. Get out of your comfort zone and you will find yourself a master of R. I. P. O. N.!
For those of you who were able to attend Alumni Weekend 2021 and celebrate our 35th Class Reunion – on behalf of Ripon College, we hope you had an amazing time reconnecting with classmates – lifelong friends and enjoyed reminiscing about your College days at Ripon. My biggest blessing of the weekend was my daughter, my legacy, ERIN BARRIE ’20, participating in her graduation ceremony on Sunday, August 8! Best day of 2021 for ERIN and me no doubt!
Stay healthy! Stay safe! Be good to yourself!
HEATHER MCFADDEN BARRIE ’85/P’20