The Rose Garden
On March 28,
2003 the mythical garden became real, as The Rose Garden
at the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing
Arts was dedicated at the entrance to The University of
Mississippi. On that day people of all ages stood in a
circle and embraced the message. They now carry the
vision of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy
to expand and redefine the boundaries symbolized by the
rose metaphor in the adult teaching tale.
At the center of The
Rose Garden, the women and men placed an exquisite
sculpture, “The Mentor,” to depict their nurturing
energy to those who enter the campus. Each rose bush
planted represents a scholarship created to educate the
next generation of student leaders, who are chosen to go
out into the world and make it a more caring and ethical
place. The students, like roses, can be difficult to
raise and require a great deal of attention. They will
need watering, fertilizer, and even pruning. But once
cut away from the bush, the carefully tended rosebuds
will transform their surroundings and bring beauty to
those around them.
The rose is the
symbol—like growing roses, mentoring student leaders
requires loving attention to bring them into full bloom
and share their beauty in service to the world.
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