Campus Currents

A Challenge to Light the World

In June, Bradley Owen, Lieutenant Governor of the State of Washington, delivered a message to the Walla Walla College Class of 2002. The message included hope, poetry, and even a bit of song. “You are setting off,” he said, “on the single greatest adventure—life. How will you take what you have learned and apply it to make the world a better place?”

As an illustration, Owen sang a portion of a song describing the progress of a lamplighter and the trail of light he left behind. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “life’s highest purpose would be to live in such a way to deserve the words, ‘I could tell which way he went by the glow he left behind.’”

Owen challenged the graduates to think big and dare to achieve the impossible. He left the graduating class with four pieces of advice: “Risk more than others think is safe, care more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible.”

Owen spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in the Walla Walla College Church, where services were relocated due to rain.

During the ceremony, WWC President N. Clifford Sorensen presented Owen with an honorary doctor of letters degree. Owen established himself as a small-business owner and a prominent citizen of Shelton, Wash., prior to his involvement in state government. He served as Shelton’s finance commissioner from 1976 to 1982 and in the Washington State senate from 1983 to 1996. Owen was first elected as Lieutenant Governor in 1996 and re-elected in 2000. He has dedicated his term of service to providing leadership in the field of public health and safety.

Other awards presented prior to the address included a President’s Citation Award to Pastor Jorge Tenorio of the Milton-Freewater Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church for his untiring efforts to have members of his congregation at every level in Christian education.

A President’s Citation Award was also presented to Gem State Academy for having the highest percentage of graduating seniors attending WWC.

The WWC Class of 2002 was composed of 403 students: 261 undergraduate and 142 graduate. Thirty-five students had served as Christian Service Volunteers.

Graduation services began Friday evening with Consecration, presented by members of the senior class. On Sabbath morning, José Rojas, director of Adventist Volunteer Ministries Network for the North American Division, presented the Baccalaureate address, “Success or Prosperity?” W

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