Twenty years ago, I would never have believed that the words "honor student" would be uttered in the same sentence as my name. Or that I'd ever have a snowball's chance in hell of going to an Ivy League school.


Today, I'm a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honors society. I've got a very respectable 3.91 GPA, but have been more than frustrated because my college career is stalled once again (for reasons I will not go into right now). A couple of weeks ago, I got an invitation from Columbia University to attend an information session, which was held today in San Francisco.


I read and re-read the invitation. I thought of 1,000,001 reasons why I couldn't possibly go to an Ivy League school--in New York City, no less. But a voice inside me told me I had to check it out.


Columbia has a college for "non-traditional" students (folks like me who have had long interruptions in their education). It's geared toward students who have to juggle Real Life and school, something that has proven extremely difficult in my life.


Those million-and-one reasons and voices of fear and doubt still ring in my head. But I'm going to apply because I hear that one lone voice inside me telling me I have to check it out. It's hard to hear that voice because the voices of fear and doubt are very shrill. But the one telling me I owe this to myself to explore the opportunity is steady and calming. Applying is not the same as loading the U-Haul; I may not even be accepted. I don't see any shame in being turned down by an Ivy League school. But it would be a terrible shame to not try and wonder if I might have made it.


NOW GROOVIN' TO: Dirty Old Town from the album "Rum, Sodomy And The Lash" by The Pogues