Back to work…FINALLY!
So I am happy to report that I am back to work on campus and doing well. It was such a tremendous lift to get somewhat back to a 'normal' routine. I was surprised by just how much I missed my colleagues, the students, the campus, all of it. I know I work in Admission so you may distrust my motives, but I can honestly say that the environment on campus is just so peaceful and relaxing. After having been away for awhile, it was amazing how struck I was by the sheer beauty of the place when seeing it with fresh eyes. I’ve taken time to stroll down to the lake a few times a week as part of my ‘therapy’!
The Admission Office...my home away from home!
Now don’t get me wrong, just because I am back doesn’t mean that I’m fine. I admit that I am struggling a bit. I’m working an abbreviated schedule for awhile. I have ZERO attention span, frequently have to take breaks, and make a habit of napping during lunch in my office, but hey…I’m BACK!!!! It was so great to start seeing the students again – it’s very energizing, and I can use all the energy I can get. Man, there are so many fantastic new faces! Saint Leo enrolled a record freshman class this year…we even had to institute a waiting list this spring. I hope we’ll have the same success for the Fall 2009 class!
I do have a few sad moments when I realize that many of the students I know and love will be graduating this year as well. But such is the nature of what I do…eventually they all have to leave us to go put their Saint Leo experience to use in the real world. I’ve heard from many of the students that graduated this past spring. As they all left before my summer drama, they didn’t know what had happened. So it was particularly nice to know they were checking in just to see what was going on, not because they heard something bad had happened to me and felt they should (although that would have been appreciated nonetheless). Everyone is thankfully working, and several of them are balancing work with graduate school!
I'm also going to be searching for a new student assistant, as mine from last year has moved on to working with the online edition of the school newspaper - GO COLLEEN! I'm already missing her help, but am thrilled she has this opportunity.
I’m getting to know the new students – it is safe to say that the future is looking bright. What a great group of young minds! It is particularly interesting that we are getting to know one another in an election year, and the political debates are running rampant. In fact, most of those debates started back in the spring in our online community for admitted students, SLU360. It is a great utility, sort of our own private ‘facebook’-type environment where incoming students get to know each other online. We have people from around the university on there as well, and the discussion forums give students a place to ask questions and get answers or advice from current students and staff members. Quite a few students found their roommates on SLU360, so we’ll hopefully expand that capability for 2009.
This is going to be a fun year, and I am resolved to be grateful for and enjoy every day of it!