(Our First Floor Meeting)
Howdy,
So as many of you know I will be graduating at the end of the semester. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that has helped me become a better person during my time as a Resident Assistant in Cobb Hall. This position has been one of the most impactful experiences of my life and what I have learned from my residents, my staff, superiors, and others will never be forgotten.
As my residents, you have been educators for me by teaching me about your personalities, your backgrounds, your failures and your triumphs. I appreciate that you can feel comfortable to talk about issues surrounding your life. You have all shown resiliency in your own ways as you face your own problems and I applaud that. I have seen you all grown to become independent in your own ways to truly become adults. You all have broadened my worldview and helped me better understand how I can help others now and in the future. You all have made each other better people in one way or another
Some of the things that I will miss the most with all of you are the little things. I am going to miss saying hi to all of you as you pass my door even if I say it once you are already 15 feet away. I’m going to miss giving you all peace signs as I pass by you on my way to class. I will miss eavesdropping into conversations you have in the hallway when I have my door open (yes I can hear you if you didn’t know). I’ll miss seeing you all gather in each other’s rooms and just talking about random daily thoughts that pass through your minds. I think I’m even going to miss mini conversations while you are heating stuff up in the microwave.
I hope that you all made some memories while living here. They could be memories of embarrassing stories, memories of hardship and perseverance, memories of cherished friendships, they can even be memories of just some batshit crazy stories. I hope that a memory of this place stays with you and teaches you to be a better person.
Cobb Hall has been an integral part of my development during my time at CMU and I hope that it has left an impact on you. This building might just seem like an old dormitory built in the 1970’s, but the people within it have given it character and heart. The people in this building as a collective make this community great through diversity, inclusion, and by creating a network that supports you.
So what now? Many of you will be moving on away from Cobb and will continue your journey through college. I wish I could help you but… I’M OUT! You will have to make a lot of decisions on your own and they may seem daunting. But from what I have seen you all this year and from my residents in years past, I know that you will persist and make the best decisions for yourself. Also, if you do get into a rut just think about #WWAD (What Would Austin Do) and go with whatever I would do.
Well… this is it. Thank you for making me a better person. I am very proud of all of you in your own way. Please feel free to connect with me on social media if you would like to or ask for my phone number so that we can stay in touch once I am gone. I would love to see where all of you end up in life and the adventures that you all go on. I am still willing to offer a helping hand if needed once I graduate.
I want to end this letter talking about the hills and valleys of life.
In your life, you may experience your own hills and valleys. Hills are considered the good times in life. These all come in different shapes and sizes but in general, they bring you joy. These hills could include graduating from college, finding the best parking spot, getting a new job, getting a win in Fortnite, or even the birth of a child. Valleys are the opposite of a hill and can bring you down in different forms as well. These valleys could include the death of a relative, stubbing your toe, financial instability, coming in last in Fortnite, or even having a traumatic health crisis. You can expect to have some hills and valleys in your life and sometimes you just have to accept them and just keep walking through. Sometimes you might experience a cliff and something that instantly may bring you down, but it is on you to find the hills in life that can bring you back up. On the other hand, you may come across a mountain that can bring you great joy, but you still have to remember that there may come a time where you reach the peak of the mountain and that you might need to plan your walk strategically so that you don’t fall down the other side. As you continue to walk through life remember to set some goals yourself. Is your goal to peak to highest you can go? Is it to stay on a steady rising plain? Is it to dig yourself out of whatever valleys you encounter? Or is it to accept the terrain how it is and make moves so that at the end of the day you have walked more hills than valleys?
Once again, thank you for being you. I am one proud RA.
Love