This is the first August in 18 years in which I will not be returning to a full-time lecturer position within a parks and recreation program within higher education…FYI, this was by choice, not by firing, thought I should clarify. Higher education has been my professional community since the true start of my career. This has been a community that has molded who I have become today. Specifically, the students of this community have had the most profound impact on me. With that, I want to say THANK YOU to all the students I have had over my 18 years and to let them know the true honor it has been to be part of their journey. With that, here is a short list to express my gratitude:
· Thank you to those who made me laugh
· Thank you to those who challenged me
· Thank you to those who I still have the pleasure of talking to all these years
· Thank you to those who gave their all to assignments, projects, events, etc.
· Thank you to those who I now call friends
· Thank you to those who have assisted me in growing in my career
· Thank you to those who frustrated me
· Thank you to those who we had a cry together because life had thrown them off course in some nasty way
· Thank you to those that made me better
· Thank you to those for impacting communities all over the world
· Thank you to those who went the extra mile
· Thank you to those who sent me “thank you’s” over the years
· Thank you to those who helped play practical jokes on other faculty members
· Thank you to those who shared their culture with me
· Thank you to those that taught me about diversity and inclusion
· Thank you to those who provided me a “community” I always felt part of
· Thank you to those who helped me figure out what I was even doing
· Thank you to those who showed me kindness
· Thank you to those who inspired me
· Thank you to those who assisted with technology issues in the classroom
· Thank you to those who kept me wanting to be better
· Thank you to those who kept me young at heart
· Thank you to those who participated when the class would go silent on me
· Thank you to those for the impactful classroom conversations
· Thank you to those who were kind to their peers
· Thank you to those who assisted their peers in becoming stronger
· Thank you to those who made it SO exciting to be in front of that classroom
· Thank you to those who were and still are excited about this beautiful profession we call recreation
· Thank you to EVERY student I had for allowing me the opportunity to learn from them
· Thank you for letting me be your instructor, as this has been one of my life’s greatest gifts
I will take ALL I have learned from the approximate 4,500 students I have interacted with and continue to have the same above impacts they have had on me and share with others. This #community of students is forever mine and theirs to continue to grow and connect, as this community extends well beyond those four walls of the classroom in which we met. #forevermystudents #gratitude #teacher #showthanks #thanksomeonetoday.
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