b'articulate. How could a formerlower-division class in history college dropout be accepted toto measure his merit as a the best university in the world? student.Cross first enrolled in collegeIt was one of those reallylife-following his high schoolchanging classesthat shifted graduation in 2007 but droppedmy perspective and interests. out early in 2008. RoughlyI now fully intend to make 15 years passed and while Ithe study of slavery my lifes regretted failing in college,work,looking for what Jenny I didnt really have a strongSharpe (author of Ghosts of desire to go back until aroundSlavery: A Literary Archaeology 2018 or 2019, he said. of Black Womens Lives) calls SOU Graduate Bound For Oxford Meanwhile, he learned onthe stories that are being the fly and developed a career.withheld in the historical He took a short-term job at thenarrative.Achieving success wasnt thepast define me and live theOregon Shakespeare Festival I was actually in a work issue for Taran Cross 24. Herest of my life with regret. If Ishortly after leaving college,meeting when the email (from had risen to the position of vicewanted to go to Oxford, I wasthen several months laterOxford) came in, and I had to president with a Medford-basedthe only person who could began the first in a successionexcuse myself to leap around healthcare technology company,stop me. of technology-relatedmy office in joy and legitimately in spite of dropping out ofCross applied for and waspositionsfirst at a computercry with happiness, he said. I college. But he had unfinishedaccepted into SOUs Innovationforensic services firm, thenwas so emotional, both because business and higher ambitions. and Leadership Programback at OSF, and then at athis is such an unbelievable I dreamed of going tofor working professionals inMedford computer supportopportunity and because I Oxford as a kid, and aroundJanuary 2021, and graduated inand services business.proved to myself that I am 2018 I started having these2024 with a pair of bachelorsThough he was successful,capable of accomplishing my profound feelings of regret thatdegrees. Soon after earningCross couldnt shake thedreams.I hadnt been the sort of personthose bachelors degrees hefeeling that there wasCrosss ultimate plan is to who could accomplish thoseapplied for admission into asomething more. Heearn his masters degree from dreams, Cross said. I felt likemasters degree program inwas nagged by his failedOxford, then apply to the the opportunities of my lifehistory at Oxfordand learnedattempt at college, had auniversitys doctoral program had passed me by and, despiterecently that he has beengrowing commitment toin history, before finding a having a successful career, that Iaccepted. self-improvement, and feltposition focused on research had squandered my potential. I didnt often tell peoplethat there must be a moreand writing about British Applying to SOU was mythat was my goal while at SOUmeaningful role for him. So,colonialism in the Caribbeanway of rejecting that negativebecause, even to me, it seemedhe took the first step toward aparticularly around slavery thinking. I decided that I wasntfar-fetched, Cross said. Itreturn to college, registeringand the experiences of the going to let the failures of myhonestly felt almost silly toin fall 2020 for a single,African community.SOU Participants Make a Splash at Regional Sustainability ConferenceSOU made its presence felt at this springs Washingtonsustainability in higher education for more than two decades, Oregon Cascadia Higher Education Sustainabilitysaid Vincent Smith, Ph.D., dean of the School of Science and Conference (WOHESC) in Portland, where SOU students,Business and Executive Director of the IAS. The invitation to faculty, and staff shared success stories in sustainabilityshare our successes this year with an audience of more than 300 with peer institutions. WOHESC attendees speaks to our continued leadership in this SOU Sustainability Director Becs Walker presentedimportant field.on two of the universitys major successes in the pastSOU Honors Collegestudent Sierra Garrett attended year: its groundbreakingwork on solar installationsandthis years WOHESC as a representative of the Associated commitment to produce 100% of its daytime electricityStudents of SOU and Director of Student Engagement for by 2035; and its development of the Institute for Appliedthe IAS.Sustainability (IAS) which has brought togetherI love learning from other colleges about how they are sustainability professionals from academic affairs, studentengaging students in sustainability, and it is so rewarding life, and campus operations to establish sustainability as ato be able to share our work at SOU with others, she said. pillar of excellence at SOU. Students I meet from other schools are always amazed by Southern Oregon University has led efforts to institutionalizewhat we are doing at SOU.TH DRR SSPPRRIINNGG22002255 17TEH ER ARIADIEE 17'