The Value of Community

I knew when I was first accepted for this position in last August that I would be returning to a rich and vibrant community in Putnam County, Indiana. It was easy coming back, and I remember telling Bob Steele and Linda Clute that it felt like I was coming home.

When I was deciding between graduate schools barely a month ago, I think I went back and forth between options every day. Maybe every hour. The programs I struggled choosing between were almost identical in every way, but when I reflected on what I was looking for out of the next few years, the answer was obvious. I wanted to be a part of a community.

So here I am getting ready to head out to Denver, CO by way of mountainous week-long road trip to find that community while attending the Korbel School of International Studies at The University of Denver. Now that it’s my last day at Prindle as a Graduate Fellow, I’m not sure that any place will compare to right here. I was told this many times as a student, and I've remembered it often during my short time working at DePauw: this is a special place.

DePauw, Greencastle, and for me, The Prindle Institute have become my home and family. This place pulses with ambition, promise, compassion, and curiosity. I've seen it in the eyes of so many people. In this rural, poverty-stricken county in central Indiana I have met business women, creative entrepreneurs, future senators, incredible artists and musicians, caring citizens, best friends, and close friends. At first glance, this may seem like any other small town, but it’s not. It is special.  

Community is what I've been searching for, and here’s the cliche: it’s been under my nose this entire time. I know that going to Denver is absolutely the best decision for me, and I have the people from DePauw and Greencastle to thank for helping me make that decision and supporting me for literally every mile of the journey. Thanks to them, I have a place to stay and a job to work at when I arrive; I have a crazy yoga hobby to cultivate; I have a little piece of the Midwest always with me in Denver, Colorado. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Until next time,

Katie