by Donny Irving

I always find myself asking the question, “Is Cornerstone really worth all the money I invest into it?” As I take a look at all the different aspects of Cornerstone, it has shown me that Cornerstone has been a wonderful environment in which I could grow in the Lord. I just took some time to reflect upon Cornerstone and my experience, and I found myself in a state of gratitude and thankfulness for the different aspects which make Cornerstone so great of an environment. Here is a list of things that I am thankful for:

I am thankful for intramural sports. I was able to keep my competitive edge alive by being involved in sports.

I am thankful for The Herald newspaper. I love getting new issues and seeing what is happening around the campus.

I am thankful for all the professors. They have challenged me to grow as a student. Though there are many different teaching styles, one thing I find that all the professors at Cornerstone have in common is their passion for teaching and helping students grow. It was a drastic change from a community college where I felt like just a number and professors were there just to earn paychecks. The professors here teach because they love it.

I am thankful for food service and all the workers. I love the food, especially the pasta bar and waffles. Working at food service has shown me how much effort and dedication it takes to run a cafeteria. I am just glad I am not stuck in preparing food for myself, because Ramon noodles gets old after a while.

I am thankful for health services. They always have given me sound advice and treatment in dealing with my health issues, especially times in which I thought I was dying because of chest pains.

I am thankful for the chapel services. They have been an encouragement in my walk with the Lord.

I am thankful for Evensong. There is no better way to head into a new week at school than with a time of prayer and worship.

I am thankful for the grounds crew that has created a wonderful environment for students to go outside and enjoy the campus of Cornerstone University. I found myself playing the guitar in the nicely trimmed grass by the pond, reflecting on God’s majesty.

I am thankful for housekeeping. It is nice to go into school each morning to a clean and orderly environment.

I am thankful for maintenance crew. In the dorm when there were leaking pipes, they were quick to fix it.

I am thankful for tech support. During the middle of a huge project, my hard drive crashed (doesn’t it seem like it crashes at the worst possible time?). I took my computer into tech support and was surprised to see that they were able to recover my files so I could continue working on my project.

I am thankful for the learning center. I was terrified that I would not graduate, because I was probably at the math level of a second grader. Through them I was able to walk into my college math class with confidence, knowing how to solve each problem.

I am thankful for the resident life staff. I have never felt more welcomed in a place than I did in my dorm.

I am thankful for commuter life, in which they help students feel connected to the campus. I also was able to meet the most wonderful woman I have ever met there.

I am thankful for counseling services. I came to them to help relieve some of my stress, and found myself working through deeper issues in my life because of them.

I am thankful for the library. I will miss having wells of knowledge at my finger tips. They provide a large selection of books, music and movies. Through MelCat, I had virtually every book I could ever want.

I am thankful for the contract. It has helped cultivate a life of integrity, and has created an environment in which I could focus on my studies. Although I have broken it a few times, I am grateful for the conviction that I had to stay true to my word.

I am thankful for financial aid. During a time in which I was not sure if I could afford Cornerstone they helped me work out a deal in which I was able to continue my education.

I am thankful for admissions. They have done a great job in making prospective students feel welcomed when they come to our campus.

I am thankful for the administration. I really don’t know what they do, but I do know there must be some people behind the scenes making this campus work.

I am thankful for student government and the time they put in, representing the students and issues that we have.

I am thankful for the students. I have been encouraged so many times by random conversations with fellow classmates. Coming from a public school, I never realized how beneficial it is to have Christian brothers and sisters around me, encouraging my walk with the Lord.

These things are what make this campus so wonderful. So many times I find myself thinking of how things could be improved. But looking back, I now see how things were so great. If only I could give people the benefit of the doubt, when judging their performance. The answer is yes! Cornerstone has been worth the money I invested into it because they have invested into me. For all the people who make up the Cornerstone community, find joy in the fact that you have created an environment that is conducive in producing godly men and women preparing to serve the Lord.