Good evening, Odyssey community and people of the world. My name is James Knapp and I am a Huntington University graduate now. I can't thank my friends, family, peers, professors and counselors enough for getting me this far. This is just one of the many milestones I hope to have in my life. I am now back in California spending time with my father, grandfather who is in the hospital; please have continued prayers for him, my brother and some friends. The hardest part is getting a job. When you move back to a big city, the competition is fierce and although it may seem that there are many jobs out there, it is very competitive, even in your own field.
The road trip after graduation was fun though. My brother had never been on a plane before, let a lone to a new state. It was fun, exciting, different and fun. When my father and brother arrived, we went to Applebee's for dinner and the next morning was just around the corner. It was a crazy day, between packing everything up, getting prepared for commencement and making sure to be on time for everything, it was exciting and fun. The President's luncheon was amazing. I got to entertain people at the luncheon and play some special music that I arranged by my favorite band, The Rippingtons, called In the End.
In the End, we begin a new journey of life that God has a plan for us on this track called life. In the End, there are tears that are shed but we pick ourselves up and be strong and courageous because Joshua himself said it in the Bible. In the End, I will miss everyone of you and wish I can see each and everyone and just tell them goodbye one last time. In the End, we will succeed and learn so much in this life that learning doesn't stop after college. In the End, God has a plan for us, he knows more than we do about our own lives.
In the End, commencement was a success. There were tears, so many pictures, so many memories to be left at this institution. My graduation dinner was me and my dad at the Great Wall Chinese buffet. It gave us time to catch up and look back on everything. The next morning, we set out to Bluffton, IN and dad and Jason got to see me play both the piano and organ and meet everyone. It was bittersweet. We headed to Indianapolis and from there to Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and finally, California. Since I have been back, I have bowled, spent time with some family that flew in and been trying to find a job.
In closing, I want to say thank you to everyone, the editor-in-chief, Jazlyn Rust. We had a long relationship, there are so many good times spent and getting to write for you and the Odyssey was a pleasure. Don't ever let anyone tell you what to do. Keep running this ship because you have a great crew and they will do amazing and great things. Thank you Terry, Janet, Rachel, Nick, Catlin, Lee, Meghan, Linnea, Callie, Haylee, Jordan, Kelsey, and anyone else I failed to mention; it was great to be a part of a close-knit team. It was fun, I will miss you guys and keep sharing articles because I still have time to read.
Best,
James Knapp
