As you all know, my time is wrapping up as president of Missouri State University. After today, I’ll publish only two more Clif’s Notes. There will be one more fun video coming before I ride off into the sunset.

In my final messages, I’ll look back over the last 13 years. This one covers memorable moments. Next week, I’ll focus on lessons learned.

My wife, Gail, has been my stalwart partner during my presidency. I couldn’t have done the job without her. Our shared experiences have brought me great joy.

One of our favorite experiences was attending the 2017 Presidential Inauguration with the Chorale in Washington, D.C. Witnessing the peaceful transfer of power between presidents, sitting with cabinet secretaries, senators and Supreme Court members while our students performed was unforgettable. The concert at National Presbyterian Church the following evening was beautiful as well. Sen. Roy Blunt made this experience possible and acted as a gracious host to us all.

I’ve also been honored to meet with and interview so many talented people, including Colin Powell, Jenna Bush Hager, Doris Kearns Goodwin, John Goodman, David Glass and many others. Without exception, they were gracious, humble people who wanted to make the world better. They inspired me to try to do more.

Finally, our travel to and through China has resulted in many great memories from student performances at our branch campus to walking on the Great Wall, which was covered in ice, to being a guest at incredible dinners where I didn’t always know what I was eating. Lasting relationships and mutual respect were two of the results of my interaction with our Chinese colleagues as we worked together to create meaningful experiences for our students.

As I’ve stated many times, I’ve loved this job. It’s mostly because of our mission and our shared accomplishments. But these experiences will always live on as some of my fondest memories. I’ll share additional thoughts next week.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State.

Clif