Sage Gerard, our Director of Collegiate Activism and the founder of Zen Men, recently graduated Summa Cum Laude (that means “with highest honors,” or with a 4.0+ GPA). This is a stellar achievement. Graduation is often as much a test of endurance as it is of aptitude, and few have had to endure what Sage has gone through as he has made his way from start to finish of his education pipeline.

If you are not familiar with the David and Goliath story of Sage’s founding of Zen Men and the subsequent appalling behavior of KSU faculty and students who ultimately failed to besiege Sage and his organization, I encourage you to watch this video if you have time.

Since Sage has reached an important milestone in his life, however, this post is dedicated to his triumph rather than his struggles. By that I mean not just a triumph of acing tests and handing homework on time, but a triumph in defiance of an upbringing in a world – and a system – that didn’t understand him as a young man, and didn’t care to.

Sage is no longer under the whim of administrators and faculty who are often (and have been proven, in his case) driven by politically and ethically dubious motives. I give the floor to Sage in the video below, as he reflects upon his progress, survival, triumphs, and the opportunities ahead of him.

The sky is the limit, Sage. Go get ’em!

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For a more in-depth look at the litigation movement for due process and equal access to education: