Last February, around this time we made a visit to College of the Ozarks for a tour of the campus. After many years of thinking that she was heading to Johnson and Wales in Providence RI, Charissa was just beginning to consider if there were other options a bit closer to h
ome. A 4 year culinary degree is relatively rare, so there were not a lot of options. Some on line searching and local friends prompted us to look closer at C of O though, also known as Hard Work U®. The tour went so well, and the program seemed to be such a great fit that we went a bit of a non-traditional route for Charissa’s senior year. While other kids were doing multiple college visits and applying to many locations, we decided that this fall we would only apply to C of O. This school typically has a 13% acceptance rate, so this was a risk. If she got in, we would know that was God’s direction for her. If she did not, then next fall, after a year of community college courses, we would widen the search. As this year went on, Charissa said that she was praying that God would make it very obvious if she was to leave home next fall. What an answer to prayer when her acceptance letter arrived just 3 days after the admission deadline. Though we all have mixed feeling of nervousness and excitement, it is great to have a clear direction. Pray with us as we prepare to launch our first in about 6 months!