Table of Contents
Introduction xv
From a Previous Reader xvii
1 Getting In
Never Say Never Rosa Torcasio 3
College Bound Dave Barry k 6
Bloopers from College Admission Essays Richard Lederer 9
Strange Scholarships Uncle John's Great Big Bathroom Reader 11
The Envelope, Please Rory Evans 13
If the Dream Is Big Enough, the Facts Don't Count Cynthia Stewart-Copier 17
Hani Jamie Winship 20
Inspiration Can Be Anywhere Cerie L. Couture 24
A Proposal to Myself Sarah Lockyer 29
2 Transition
Good-Bye, Mr. Blib Beth Mullally 32
A Dad Says Good-Bye Joseph Danziger 35
College Talk Kimberly Kirberger 37
The "No Hug" Rule Cheryl Costello-Forshey 39
Shoes in the Shower Lia Gay-and Rebecca Hart 44
Deck the Halls Melanie Fester 48
The Times I Called Home from College Scott Greenberg 52
The Long Road Home Lia Gay 55
Breakdown of Family Traced to Psych. 1 Student Beth Mullally 59
3 Lessons from the Classroom
Undeclared Tal Vigderson 64
Making the Grade Varda One 67
The Good, the Bad and the Emmy David Winners 72
The Thought Card Hanoch McCarty 76
I Passed the Test Paula Lopez-Crespin 82
The Wicker Chair Eva Rosenberg 85
Dissed Mary J. Davis 89
How to Get an A on Your Final Exam Tony D'Angela 90
A Compassionate Philosophy Kristi Nay 94
Library Science Jenna McCarthy 98
Your Legacy Tony D'Angelo 104
Angels on a Pin (101 Ways to Use a Barometer) Alexander Calandra 106
Topsy-Turvy World Kimberly Kirberger 109
4 Lessons from Outside the Classroom
College Wisdom Seldom Exercised in the Summer Beth Mullally 112
Learning How to Be Roommates Elsa Lynch 115
The Plaster Shell Miriam Goldstein 119
The Great Escape Wendy Marsion 122
Hanging Out to Dry Paul Karrer 125
Wranglers and Stranglers Ted Engstrom 126
Of Mice and Maintenance Men Lisa Levenson 128
Knowing Where to Tap Tony D'Angelo 131
Miracle on Times Square Gunter David 133
The Dark Gift Kent Nerburn 137
Reverse Living Norman Glass 140
Blameless Kathy Johnson Gale 141
5 Love 101
Finding My Way Zan Gaudioso 146
The Mirror Dan Clark 150
I Dare You! April Kemp 154
The Love I'll Never Forget Tim Madigan 156
Heartbreak 101 Lauren Fox 161
What Is Sex? Adam Saperston 165
Swans Mate for Life Hal Torrance 167
6 Acts of Kindness
The Boy Under the Tree David Coleman Kevin Randall 174
For the Kids Diana Breclaw 177
Piano Music Daneen Kaufman Wedekind 180
Ten-Dollar Bills and Roses Mary J. Davis 183
A Not-So-Random Act of Kindness Will Keim 184
Christy's Last Day Christy Calchera Dan Clark 187
The Gift of Music Brandon Lagana 191
Our Community Christa F. Sandelier 193
7 Friends
The Kids in the Hall Suzanne Casamento 196
My Sanctuary Eric Linder 201
My Friend Kim Robert Tate Miller 203
819 Gaffield Place Michele Bender 207
An Unlikely Hero Tony Luna 212
With Help from a Friend Dorri Olds 216
8 Tough Stuff
My Star Zan Gaudioso 220
Independence Day Natasha Carrie Cohen 224
#38 Chucky Mullins James Simmons 227
Zap the Sap! Eric Saperston 231
I Said No Natasha Carrie Cohen 235
The Rest of the Story Jo Wiley Cornell 238
Stuck with No Way Out Rosanne Martorella 241
9 Mind Over Matter
Breaking the Mold Zan Gaudioso 246
A Better Message Carol Grace Anderson 250
Homeboy Goes to Harvard Richard Santana 253
From the Heart of a Blessed Temple B. T. Thomas 257
Second Kind of Mind JeVon Thompson 259
Work for Your Supper Arlene Green 262
Catsup Soup Cynthia Hamond 267
Student Super-Saver™ Kevin Van Gundy 269
Dare to Take Risks! Stephen Hopson 274
Emma's Ducks Paul Karrer 279
Consider This Bill Clinton 281
All in the Family Jeanne Marie Laskas 283
Never Too Old to Live Your Dream Dan Clark 286
10 Graduation
Life Lessons Dave Barry 290
A Homecoming of a Different Sort Vicki Niebrugge 294
Two Stories for Life Robert Fulghum 297
Humor Them! Katherine D. Ortega 303
Know Where You're Going! Speaker's Sourcebook II 306
Who Is Jack Canfield? 309
Who Is Mark Victor Hansen? 310
Who Is Kimberly Kirberger? 312
Who Is Dan Clark? 313
Who Is James Malinchak? 314
Contributing Editors 315
Contributors 316
Permissions 326
