Last night my parents treated a group of forty of my closest friends, professors, and family to an evening of community and laughter as a form of farewell party before I leave or Australia ( which is in 5 days, 17 hours, 58 minutes, and 45 seconds… but who’s keeping track, right?) There was a heavy assortment of fried appetizers, ice cold drinks, and one big ole’ honkin’ cake from our local Publix Supermarkets. The generosity of my family in providing this evening of celebration reminded me of all of the generosity from them and from countless others that has provided me with the opportunities I have.
At Rollins it can be too easy, I think, for many of us to forget the reality and privilege of our situation. It takes looking at the peers I graduated high school with and understanding why our lives are so different to remind myself of the immense privilege that I have. I get the privilege of being able to attend a private school on scholarships, being able to live in another country for five months at little to no cost to myself, and to have the option to give back to my community in the ways that I do. This experience is one that a majority of people in my hometown will only get to have vicariously through me. For a majority of the people in Apopka, this is not a normal experience – this is one of immense privilege.
This is not to say that I haven’t put in countless hours dedicated to my studies, service, and job in order to help me achieve where I am. Rather, this is meant as a reminder to my peers and to myself of the extraordinary circumstances that have to coalesce in order to make our education and the opportunities afforded by that education possible. This is a reminder to think of our community members and peers while we are abroad and once we get back and strive to learn as much as we can from this experience and not waste it. There are too many people who live their lives never achieving these kinds of opportunities for anyone to waste their time not learning, experiencing, reflecting, or giving back.
There are never enough ways to adequately or accurately display the gratitude that I feel towards my family, towards my professors, and to all of the people who believe I am a worthwhile investment. When I first started my education at Rollins, I remember hearing about study abroad and letting the information fly over my head because I knew that that was something that would never come to fruition. Yet, here I am, five days away from the adventure of a lifetime. I can only hope that my dedication to a mindful experience and to giving back once I come home can start the process of showing my appreciation for everything I have and everything I have yet to experience. Until then, let this serve as an initial ‘Thank You’, for believing that this young, scrappy, and hungry lass was worth your investment.
Until next time…