Highlights - Front Page - Christ Church Episcopal School

Finding Opportunities in a Challenging Economy
From the President’s Desk
President Lee Cox addresses
alumni panelists at the CCES
Alumni Career Program on
March 19.
Several years ago, before coming to Greenville, I came upon
a note written by my father. It had a profound effect on me
and continues to be a guiding force in my life. Written in
his hand, on a yellowed note card, was a single question:
What are the essentials of a full life? To this question he
enumerated four short answers: (1) a faith fit to live by; (2)
a self fit to live with; (3) work fit to live for; (4) someone
to love and be loved by. I don’t know when he wrote these
words, what his frame of mind was at the time, or even
if the words were actually his. What mattered, and what
had the strongest effect on me, was that here was a set
of principles without which, however articulated, no life
endeavor could be fully realized.
The theme for this issue of Highlights is finding
opportunities, a quest made all the more complex in a
challenging economy. Among others, you will read about Wayne Hopkins ’91, who moved
from Hollywood to the ministry; about Carrie Ryan ’96, who transitioned from law to
writing; and about Connor Sullivan ’99, who created his own law firm to meet his own
needs and dreams. In these and other examples you will read of people following their
passion, not simply looking for a job. Beyond that, however, I will venture that there are even
deeper needs that motivated the people you will read about; and if pressed, they would affirm
that the fundamental bedrock of satisfaction rests upon qualities very similar to those listed
by my father.
There is no doubt something deep in our human nature that causes these needs to resonate
so strongly. How they are nurtured and developed, though, depends largely on the
environments in which we find ourselves or which we seek. And to be sure, the environment
at CCES encourages all of our students, at every grade level, to search for meaning, to grow
their faith, to think independently and critically, to take risks (which sometimes means
learning valuable lessons from failure), to be of service to the community, and to be a positive
force in the world.
Maturing in faith, the development of a fully realized self, preparation for a life of worthy
endeavor—all of these are a central part of the CCES experience.
Lee Cox
President
Spring 2009 | 5