Day 8

In the past two years I’ve really come to realize that Berea College is fortunate to have so many wonderful committed and loyal alumni such as Rhenda Mills (along with her equally dedicated husband who graduated from neighboring Union College) whom I’ve already seen 3 out of my 8 days on the road, and Helena Mink who decided to celebrate her birthday tonight by treating 23 alumni to some of our region’s most fabulous country cooking in the form of all-you-can-eat fried chicken at Claudia Sanders Dinner House in Shelbyville.

I always knew that Berea alumni were a step above the rest with their capacity to give and share of themselves. What I didn’t realize, until I assumed my position with the alumni office, was the generosity and compassion that I’ve seen exhibited by NON-Berea alumni – those so eager to give to an institution that did not directly contribute to the betterment of their lives in the way that it did to Berea graduates. Today I had the rare opportunity to spend time with two such non-Berea alumni. Bill Bowman learned about Berea as a young boy when he and his parents used to drive from his hometown in West Virginia to Lexington to visit his brother who attended the University of Kentucky. They would often stop at Boone Tavern for spoon bread and that experience was his first introduction to a family of which he would later become an integral part. This morning Bill biked 10 miles from Fern Creek towards Bardstown.

Farra Mai Shipp is married to Navy V-12’er, Bob Shipp. Although Bob wasn’t able to join the group for this morning’s trek towards Bardstown, without hesitation, Farra Mai, (with Berea flag in hand), joined 3 other Berea alumni for the symbolic journey. I should also mention that Bob Shipp is working on completing a history book of the Navy V-12 program at Berea and that Farra Mai has spent countless hours typing and proofing the text of that book.

In recent years, it has become quite clear to me that Berea’s mission has reached far beyond our campus gates and inspired those who may not have lived the Berea experience but are undoubtedly “Bereans” in every sense.

Signing off from Shelbyville, KY
Mae