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Hard Work, High Hopes

The student was from Uganda.  He invited "Doctor Mari" to a gathering at the home of the University's President, who has made a substantial personal commitment to Ugandan students.  "Doctor Mari" invited me to go with her.


The students all came from a residential Junior High/Senior High school.  


"It was hard work!", he said.  "We got up at 4:30 to study, then we went to morning chapel, with classes and study all day.  Then we played soccer for fun, before we studied some more, until about 10:30.  Then we went to bed.  It was hard work!"


Almost every student, when asked to introduce himself, said something about hard work, there and here.  Many of them earned two majors.  There were plans for graduate study before they returned home.  


They had to work while they studied here.  Every one of them sent $100. a year (or was that per semester?) to their school in Uganda.  The gathering at the President's home was to raise money for the medical clinic at their old school.  They were working hard at that, too, believing they would make a difference.  


"Why do so many of you do so well, here at the University?", a woman asked.


You know what the answer was.


They teased one of their fellows:  "He is going to become the president of Uganda, someday!"


If they are right in their hopes, he will have earned it.  He gets up at 4:30.




This morning, when I got up early, there was a thank-you note waiting, on-line, from the student who had invited Dr. Mari.  

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