Today I spent my Sunday with some pretty incredible student leaders who have given up two weeks of their summer break to come back early and serve. Not to get paid money, nor a meal plan, nor a bookstore gift card (though I hope a budget in the future could provide such things). But to come back and live out the university's motto of Ut Prosim, that I may serve, for the benefit of the ~800 new undergraduate and graduate international students who will join the Hokie community this fall. I printed business cards for them and gave them a tshirt and a polo shirt, and you would have thought it was a 40K salary with benefits. Bless them for being so gracious with their time!
This August in particular I was hopeful of the return of these 28 student leaders to join me and lift the load. We are ten months deep now without a Director and earlier this month my colleague ditched me for a way cuter 8 lb newborn for the next few months. In the last week though I have gained my incredibly amazing graduate assistant (GA) for the year and this weekend the student leaders who will all take these orientation plans and put them into action. What a wonderful wave of energy.
As we went through the retreat today I had a few reflections on how my approach as a professional has changed since year one (8 yrs ago).
- My schedule of the day looked less like a military breakdown in 30 minute intervals and more of a loose outline of goal topics to cover with the ~ approximate symbol used more than once for a time estimate at three hour markers.
- I shared an overview of topics we'd cover, but didn't print out a detailed schedule for everyone to follow along.
- When the team building strategy activity was going on, I didn't interrupt when it got hard for them. I didn't interject with more information or suggestive hints. I watched them work through more uncomfortableness and frustration and supported my GA as she facilitated the activity seamlessly.
- When they split into small groups I let my GA float and I took a 10 minute introvert break outside in the garden. I didn't hover.
I think each year in this field I realize more and more how students surprise me in a good way, when I let them. So I'm learning how to get more out of the way and be less about the checklist and more about being present all together. I think part of that influence is working with more mixed crowds these past two years of international and domestic students, but maybe it is also maturing and realizing there is more to be gained from the collective community than from just me as an individual.
A little peak into the team building exercise 'flip the tarp.' One said "someone didn't jump" and the second time "ok, maybe we all just need to jump higher."
