Some of you may know that a few years back I had the opportunity to be both a staff and faculty member here at Carondelet. Through my role on staff as Community relations Coordinator I helped organize the Carondelet/De La Salle five-year reunion that takes place annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Ever since my first experience with this event I have made it a priority to attend every year and have yet to miss one. Why you may ask? The answer is simple – the conversations, laughter and hugs I experience at the reunion carry me through the difficult push between Thanksgiving into finals and the holiday season!
I admit that I can easily fall into a negative head space as we move into December. I can beat myself up in regards to my classes and how things have gone over the semester. I struggle with the late work, the student burnout, and the push to finals/end of the semester. The reunion places me in a completely different head space because I get to see and reconnect with our graduates who are shining examples that our hard work is so incredibly worth it.
Some highlights of student success from this past weekend include that two of our grads are working together at Warner Brothers in Los Angeles and are taking the entertainment industry by storm. A wonderful moment was when two girls ran up to me to let me know they were placed next to each other in my freshman religion class and are still best friends, despite attending different colleges and finding themselves currently on different coasts. I spent awhile discussing the inner workings of the campaign trail and a state race as one grad worked the campaign for the office of Ohio attorney general race. Another grad is working on her PhD in physical therapy at Columbia and another has been accepted into a few medical schools and can’t wait to see what speciality calls to her. Another graduate is working with first and second graders with autism in Pittsburg,
I got to see our fellow staff member rock some incredible sparkly boots (shout out to Maggie!!) and I had the opportunity to rave about how well she is doing back at Carondelet. The alumnae ask about so many of you, and they share such heartwarming memories about your impact in their lives. These beautiful young women have such a glow about them and they gush about their experiences with us at Carondelet. If next year you find yourself free on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I highly suggest coming by the five-year reunion for a new perspective of the work that we do. I’ll try to be there every year working check-in and reconnecting with some of the amazing young people we have had the privilege to teach. When I am having a hard moment in the next few weeks, when I am struggling with a current student who seems checked out (daily with seniors!) I will remember that in a few short years perhaps that same student may have a whole new perspective on her life at Carondelet and share her gratitude openly.