Darren Butler 2018 NATIONAL MERIT RECIPIENT 

And So It Begins –

Let me make this clear – I’ve come to college with a mission. My mission is to conquer, to maintain an excellent GPA, to become a leader on campus, to study abroad, to participate in research, and to get internships. Therefore, during my first week of college, I was everywhere, doing everything (that wouldn’t make me lose my scholarship of course).

I hit the ground running at orientation. The week was called, “Mustangs Roundup” and after getting all of the formalities like getting books and registering for classes out of the way, I let my competitive spirit run wild. In the midst of all the workshops and giveaways, which I so gladly took advantage of, there was a week-long, campus-wide scavenger hunt with a list of over 100 items to take pictures with. So, yes – my phone was filled with many selfies. Yes – I learned every corner of the campus. Yes – my feet were tired. Nonetheless, I must inform you that I won… absolutely nothing – from the scavenger hunt at least. I won an Amazon Fire Stick in a raffle to use on a television I don’t have. Still, it was a great orientation, but I had to go to class at some point.

I’m currently enrolled in: Computer Science 1; Precalculus; Academic Research and Writing; American Government 1 Honors; and Leadership MSU, an honors course on the history and analysis of leadership, which I’m overjoyed to take! (It’s really just one of my Honors scholarship requirements.) Nonetheless, I have to say that the best parts of my classes are my professors.  My professors have been extremely open, helpful, and passionate about their courses. My favorite professor so far teaches Academic Research and Writing; I love his class. He takes his students beyond sentence structure, MLA, APA, and all those other writing conventions. He helps students find their voices through writing, which I believe is essential to purposeful writing (but that is an article for another day). Even beyond the classroom, I find activities that aid me in my mission.

I attended the Honors Mini-Retreat and the Meet-and-Greet for students and faculty of “EURECA,” an undergraduate research program. At the Honors Mini-Retreat, I was acquainted with fellow motivated and intelligent Honors students, and I learned more about the Honors Community, volunteering, study abroad, and other opportunities for involvement. At the EURECA Meet-and-Greet, I learned about the excellent research that is being done in areas like Computer Science, Medicine, and History… as well as put my name in the right places. Don’t forget – “mission.”

I’m looking forward to the rest of my college experience. I know there will be challenges, days when I don’t feel like getting up, and days when I think, “What in heaven’s name possessed me to do this?” Regardless, I’m going to work hard, enjoy the experience, and reap my reward at the end.