Coming to USJ, Not a Tough Decision

USJ Today, July 2008

I’ve now been an official Jacksonian for almost a month. Of course, the people here are exceedingly friendly, and they all want to know what brought me to Jackson. In fact, many people seem surprised that someone would make such a move from the “big city” of Atlanta to the “small town” of Jackson. Honestly, I didn’t think the decision to move here was that difficult. It occurs to me that, perhaps, people forget what they have here in Jackson – and at USJ in particular. What attracted me to USJ is quite easy to articulate.

First, in the scores of schools I visited in my role as a member of school accreditation teams, I never encountered a place that was warmer than USJ. Without exception, every teacher, parent, and student I encountered in my visits here was affable and welcoming. Moreover, everyone I met who was associated with USJ virtually burst with pride when speaking about the school. Such a strong sense of community pride, collective grace, and cultural sincerely has not been so strong at most schools I have encountered.

Second, it was also clear that USJ was a school that valued academic rigor and did an outstanding job preparing students for college. The faculty and staff were exceptional, the arts program was extraordinary, and the athletic program was remarkably successful. Once I visited the lower school, I knew for certain that this was the school where I wanted my three children to be educated.

Finally, I should note that Jackson has an allure of its own – and I’m not just talking about the Rockabilly Hall of Fame! While I love Atlanta, and it will always be my “hometown,” I didn’t relish the idea of raising my children in the urban/suburban sprawl of 4 million people. There is a lot to be said about living and raising a family in a small town and having your children immersed in what might be called “small-town values.” Plus, Jackson is large enough to offer many of the amenities normally associated with the “big city.”

In short, from an outsider’s view, Jackson appears to be a pretty darn good place to be. In fact, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than at the University School of Jackson in Tennessee. I am excited at the prospect of my family becoming fully immersed in this exceptional community.