Jim Franklin is the pastor at the Flora Grace Brethren Church. Our son Eric graduated from Carroll Jr.-Sr. High School on May 23. He worked very hard during the final two years and brought his grades up to the point where he was accepted into Purdue University's College of Technology. We are so very proud of him!

We are thankful for the faculty and staff of Carroll Consolidated School Corporation. Carroll's professional staff is especially good. Principal Charlie Huckstep, assistant principal Fred Schnarr, guidance counselors Kristen Seward and Scot Collins, and math teacher Gary Duff are outstanding. They are a blessing to the community.

Graduation is a bittersweet occasion because our children are now grown-up. We are thankful for God's continuing gift to us. But after graduation the relationship between parent and child is forever changed.

Recently, I attended a second graduation that was very different from Carroll's festivities.

About a year and a half ago, Grace College, my alma mater, asked me to serve as a part-time professor. It is an honor to serve your school. But my duties are not what most people think. I teach offenders, more commonly called prisoners, for the Indiana Department of Correction at their Miami and Pendleton facilities.

Miami held its graduation exercise on June 10. There were about 20 to 25 graduates whom I taught during the last year. They were just as excited to "walk" as was any Carroll grad. It was a real treat to meet their mothers, fathers, wives, fiancées and children. Their families are just as proud of their sons as I am of mine.

Offender-students are a special breed. Of course they are in prison for a reason. During their time of incarceration they have determined to do something positive with their lives. These men work incredibly hard with limited resources to earn a degree. They must navigate distractions that you and I cannot envision. It is an honor to play a small part in their journey. Their faith and tenacity motivate me.

It is a distinct privilege to serve these men. They are a blessing in ways they cannot imagine.