A reflection from Sarah Smith

"I have lived an exciting and exuberant life, but at age 84, in looking
back over the course of my life, I can't think of any other consecutive
4 year period which were more joyful than my 4 years in college."
-William H Gates Sr.

This is just one inspirational quote from an afternoon conversation
between William Gates Sr. and five Rainier Scholars.  When asked for
advice on how to make the most of college by Wesleyan-bound Raphael
Diallo, he went on to say - "Enjoy every moment of it. Don't let any
opportunities pass you by. Be curious and let that curiosity lead you in
new directions. Follow your interests and discover that which you are
most passionate about, and then do something with that."

These were among many words of wisdom passed on by Mr. Gates to our
students, as he spent a few hours with them this past week in Ed
Taylor's office in Mary Gates Hall. This gathering served as a lead-in
to his role as our speaker at the 2010 Rainier Scholars luncheon.

While the stated goal was for him to learn more about the program by
hearing the experiences of our scholars, what unfolded was much richer
and deeper.our scholars had an opportunity to witness what a successful
life lived with humility and love is all about.

With the prompting of questions created by our scholars, Mr. Gates
reflected on those persons who have inspired him most in his life. That
list included Nelson Mandela and Jimmy Carter, two people whom he
indicated had "extraordinary courage, integrity and commitment to
humanity" and who "persevered in the midst of great challenges". I don't
think Mr. Gates realized those 3 words form the core values of Rainier
Scholars, but our scholars understood loud and clear how important those
values are in the larger world arena.

When asked the secret to being a good father, Mr. Gates (with his heart
and eyes full of great love and admiration for the woman for whom the
building we sat in was named) indicated that finding a wonderful wife to
be the mother was the essential ingredient. He went on to share that
like everything else, parenthood takes work and intention, it is not a
set of skills which comes naturally. He also shared that at age 84, the
great joy in his life is his children and that he hoped every one of our
scholars would get to feel that way should they choose to one day be a
parent.

Not to be outdone, our scholars shared a few gems themselves when asked
to sum up their experience in Rainier Scholars:

"Raw intelligence does not equate to success: hard work does"

Raphael Diallo, Cohort II

"I had teachers who never allowed me to be anything less than I was
truly capable of."

Brittany Carroll-Watts, Cohort II

"Rainier Scholars is like my family. I call my college counselor when I
get a good grade on a paper just like I would my mom."
Nam Ngo, Cohort I

"Having so many choices is a privilege that comes with working hard..it
is a good problem to have."Karen Castro-Ayala, Cohort II (when asked by Mr. Gates whether she was
stressed about having so many college options).

Suffice it to say; it was a day on which I drove home feeling
extraordinarily blessed to be in this work with this organization. If
Wednesday afternoon is any indication, this will be our best luncheon
yet. We will be so honored with the presence of both our scholars and
Mr. Gates, Sr., truly one of the most inspirational leaders I have had
the privilege to meet.

Sarah Smith