A Life Worth Living

This past weekend I had the privilege of attending a retirement celebration for the outgoing President of Oakton Community College, Dr. Margaret B. Lee. Peg, as she is affectionately known by all, is retiring after 20 years as college president, and 30 years total at Oakton. I could spend this post raving all about who Peg is and her career, but that’s not really necessary. A simple web search, or conversation with anyone in her circle will yield you plenty. Instead, I will share what I came to understand as I shared in her celebration (oh, and remember, she is a bit of a Shakespeare nut ;).

I am an educator. Sometimes it is hard to define what that means. I teach, learn, coach, and support people. I am a leader. I empower, supervise, develop, and manage people. I am not the only one, many others do the same thing. But few of us do it with the humility and grace that I see in Peg Lee. Peg’s life is the intersection of love, passion, education and leadership. To see that, to really see her and her example, is a privilege. It is particularly salient for me as someone who is looking at another three decades or more of life and work. The road before me is long, God willing, and I am very thoughtful about how I want this life to play out.

My life won’t mirror Peg’s life exactly, it can’t. My life and my impact will be my own. But I can only hope that I can strive to do what Peg has done. Peg has lived a life that she was meant to live. She has lived a life full of challenge and success, across a number of industries and geographic areas. Each of those challenges and successes shows up in who Peg is today. She is authentically and genuinely the sum of her experiences, integrated into her very being, and shared with the world in each of her interactions. Who can ask for anything more? As a parent, family man, consultant, educator, and much more – that’s who I want to be. No matter what I do in my life, at Oakton or otherwise, in higher ed or otherwise, I want to be what Peg has epitomized. Peg is not perfect, Peg is Peg. And at the end of your formal career, is that not what we all want to be said about ourselves? Is a live worth living not one in which you were all that you hoped to be – and people are better because of who you are? That message was reaffirmed for me this weekend, and I am inspired to continue to lead and educate, without the need for recognition, or any pay off.

I am thankful to have worked under her leadership for the last few years, and had the opportunity to see her; flaws and all. I am thankful to have seen what it truly means, to be. Thank you Peg.

Dr. Anthony