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<DOCID>Dear_students_of_Lake_State.doc.txt</DOCID>
<AUTHOR>C. Marie Greenwood</AUTHOR>
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Dear students of Lake State,



I did not get the opportunity to say good-bye or to wish you all the very best before my departure this summer, so I wanted to take the opportunity now that you are all back for another exciting year.



Early in the summer I received a job offer that was a little too attractive to pass up, affording me the opportunity to do the two things I love best; teaching and entomology.  Although it was very difficult to leave the Soo and Lake State, we decided, for a number of reasons to make the move. Therefore, I am currently working at Oklahoma State University surrounded by people who are very receptive to entomology (do it for living even), and provided with the opportunity to serve a large number of students with a wide variety of interests.  I have discovered that serving the students, whether as a teacher, or as a graduate mentor, is truly the most fulfilling aspect of this profession.  Watching students grow in awareness and intellectual maturity as they go from being freshmen to upper classmen to graduate students is a privilege like no other.   



One of the Lake State things I will miss the most is the student body.  It was wonderful getting to know many of you and I hope that if you ever have the occasion to come to this part of the country that you will look me up.  If you have an interest in graduate school, by the way, please check out what OSU has to offer. 



Im going to say this one last timethe opportunities for students in the field of entomology continue to be numerous and varied..everything from outdoor fieldwork, conservation, behavior and ecology to molecular lab work.  We have more graduate assistantships available than students to fill them!  Entomology is an exciting place to be right now.



Some of my colleagues will undoubtedly attribute my leaving to the conflicts that exist between administration and faculty and I know this has played a role in the decision of some faculty members to leave.  Personally, I have always been confident that the problems will be addressed, given time.  It was not something that weighed heavily into my decision to leave.  Your University, with its small school attributes has great potential and its up to you (and the faculty and administration) to make sure that it is realized.



The classes I taught at Lake State and the students I knew there will leave a lasting impression on me.  I thoroughly enjoyed both.  You have made a good decision in choosing to attend school in the Soo.  It is a unique place few people will ever get to experience and most people do not fully appreciate the beauty of it until they have lived elsewhere. I would challenge you to fully experience, and respect, what it has to offer while you have the opportunity.  I will miss you and I wish you all the best for the future.
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