#SAGrad From Miami to New York!

"Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home."

This quote by Matsuo Basho was in one of the bulletin boards that awaited the students and their families as they arrived for orientation every week. It's also a quite-fitting quote for the amazing experience I've gone through this summer. As I sit here, almost done settling back home, I keep looking through pictures, messages and memories of all that happened at Pace University, and couldn't find myself more blessed of having such a unique opportunity to work and form close bonds with such a great group of people, all working together towards something we're so passionate about that it has brought us to tears from time to time (well... a lot of times). 

From my first days getting to know the staff and my fellow coordinators I had a feeling this would be a special job, where the belief that "you get from it what you put in" could not be any more true. I'm very glad that from day one I dove right into the position, its expectations, and its challenges, and because of it can now continue my professional life in student affairs with a lot more focus and an even stronger foundation, based on experiences and abilities that I look forward to put into action not just as I return to my assistantship and my second year at FIU, but in every opportunity that follows.

When I first met Suzie and Annalise, my fellow NODA Interns and Orientation Coordinators,  I knew I'd become close with them, but then again I had no idea how close. I feel blessed to have had them as my partners in crime this summer, and I definitely learned a great deal from both of them. From our outings and late night breakfasts, laughing at silly things because of being so tired and delirious, to our many heart-to-heart conversations, these two beautiful women are the definition of unconditional support, and I couldn't be prouder of having them as colleagues and close friends.

I'm thankful to have worked beside such a great group of staff members, who became more than just supervisors and advisors in this position, but mentors that from day one welcomed Suzie, Annalise and I with open arms. They not only trained us and provided us with countless resources to succeed in our positions, but trusted us, supported us, and empowered us to time and time again make the call, take initiative in our positions, and truly harness the old and new tools we brought to the table. Getting to know them in a personal and a professional way has been a pleasure, and I look forward to our paths crossing again, because time and time again the higher education field proves to be a very tiny world.

The position in itself was very special, that of being the Family Program Coordinator. This is truly the first time learning of a program for families of incoming students that is so comprehensive and well-thought-out, so the thought of coordinating something that was almost completely new to me was a bit intimidating at first, but still very exciting. This excitement kept me motivated through it all and helped me understand what at first I struggled painting a big picture for. It was immensely rewarding to get to know families the way I did as part of the position, and see Orientation Leaders and Christine, our Youth Program Intern, give their 110% every week to make sure that our family members felt informed, excited, and at peace with their student going to college. The end of every week gave me pride and joy, especially when it comes to family members that went from being very nervous, to being able to breathe and look forward to their student's experiences at Pace. 

But if there's any group of people that truly made my internship here one of a kind, it must be the 20 amazing, driven, and one-of-a-kind student leaders that completed our Orientation Staff puzzle. First, 5 awesome Office-Team members who day after day helped in every way possible to make sure everything went smoothly before, during, and after every week of Orientation. Getting to know them in and out of the office was such a pleasure, and the fact that they were with us in every step of the way meant a lot. 

Then we have Christine, or as I affectionately call her, my "right hand" and/or "my minion!" Part of my position involved the Youth Program, designed to make sure younger family members attending Family Program enjoyed themselves without having to attend sessions that are irrelevant to them. I must say, the staff did beyond great choosing all of the OLs and the O-Team members, but when it comes to the Youth Program Intern, I can't think of anyone who best fit the role other than Christine. She dove right into this experience and did all in her power to make sure kids had a good time, from random golf cart rides, to activities right out of Pinterest, and even just talking with them and creating priceless bonds. I'll definitely remember our many cookouts with the rest of the staff, the great conversations, and the many times her kids thanked her and said they had a great time at Pace because of her. 

Finally, the 14 people chosen to don the jackets and polos and dash into stage every week to welcome students and families to Pace. Those who lent a helping hand without hesitation, displaying energy without parallel and an unconditional love for Pace U that they transmitted to their students and families. The Orientation Leaders we got to work with this summer are the definition of student leadership, and to say I feel thankful to have had them as part of this experience is an understatement. From the beginning at training and during our trip to Frost Valley, they proved why they were chosen, and we saw them learn and grow tremendously, all while we formed relationships with them that made coming back home that much more difficult. Seeing them in action during program gave Suzie, Annalise and I the utmost sense of pride, and getting to know them outside of Orientation humbled us and ensured that we never had a dull moment this summer. From our jokes, random trips, to our late night conversations, our "Kumbaya" sessions, and our many meals together (minus us setting off the smoke detector a few times...), they made this a summer to always remember. 

One of the lessons learned in this experience is a bittersweet one: the fact that in this field I'll be meeting and working with amazing groups of students, and at the end of every year, or in this instance summer, it will all come to a close, and they will continue on doing amazing things. But like one of my Orientation Leaders said, we might all be going different ways, but we go those ways with something special that we all shared, a family that we're all a part of regardless of where we all go. I come back to Miami knowing that I now have a special family at Pace University, something I treasure immensely. I'm excited to return to FIU tomorrow, bring all of this with me to make my second year as a Graduate Student and Graduate Assistant the best it can be.