I got a little sentimental and wrote a speech for my beloved council. It will be put here for safe keeping. And in case any of them ever need a reminder of how amazing they are. It went like this:
"So,
I wrote a speech. Which is kind of a big deal for me. That’s how you all can be
sure that I really like you guys, because I’m not usually one to willingly give
a speech. I just didn’t want to end the year without letting you all know how
much it has meant to me to get to spend it with all of you.
When
I look back at my college experience, sitting in this very room with all of you
laughing, sharing ideas, and learning about each other will be some of my
fondest memories. This year serving as your Chair has been one of the greatest
years of the 21 that I have lived.
As
I’ve sat here, watching each of you grow into your positions, grow as
individuals, and grow into the family that I see before me now, you have caused
me to grow as well. I’ve learned how to lead, how to laugh at my own mistakes
(and then quickly do everything I can to fix them), and how to love.
Essentially, this is my really sappy love letter to all of you.
We
all know I’m capable of going on never-ending tangents so, what I’m trying to
say is thank you. Thank you for sticking through the rough patches with us.
Thank you for being patient through all of my circular, confusing ramblings.
Thank you for laughing at my bad jokes. Thank you for bearing with me while I
figured out how to be your Chair. Thank you for allowing me to lead you. But
thank you most of all for allowing me to know you.
Never
before have I had the privilege of being surrounded by individuals as talented,
creative, driven, and inspirational as you all are. Each week I would stand in
awe of what you all were able to accomplish. I am so proud to even be able to
say that I know each of you. Everything that you all have been able to do this year
has inspired me to want to do more and be better, both as your Chair as well as
in my own personal and professional life. You are such beautiful, brilliant
people and you have taught me so much about what being a leader truly is and I
sincerely hope that I have served you well this year.
And
of course, there is my amazing, insanely gifted E-Board, without whom I
probably wouldn’t have stayed sane this year.
I
am so unworthy and undeserving of the absolute honor it has been to work with
the three of you.
You
three have made me laugh harder than I ever have and work harder than I ever
thought I could. Thank you for working such long hours and going above and
beyond to make this council and this E-Board everything that it has been.
Thank
you for always working so diligently and making my job so easy. Each of you was
always so willing to lend a hand and dedicate your time to this council and
that has absolutely meant the world to me. You have made all of our work not
feel like work at all, and that’s a pretty amazing task to tackle.
Above
all else, thank you for being my best friends. Thank you for never giving up on
me and never letting me give up on myself. Thank you for listening to all of my
ridiculous stories. Thank you for loving me through all of my crazy. And thank
you for loving not only me, but for also loving each other. Thank you for your
hearts. You are three of the kindest hearted people I have ever known and it
has been such a blessing to have you three on my team.
You
really have been my dream team and any E-Board I have in the future is going to
have some enormous shoes to fill. You are my soulmates and I wouldn’t have
rather spent those long hours in the office with any other group of people.
Finally,
thank you a thousand times over to our wonderful advisor, Assistant Dean Peggy
Bockman for being our biggest fan from day one.
Thank
you for your time and for genuinely caring about each of us. Thank you for the
opportunities you have given me to grow as a leader and a person. Thank you for
your guidance and your patience with me while I got my bearings as Chair. Thank
you for your encouraging words and your constant desire to help our students
grow.
Thank
you especially for having the incredible sense to recruit Amanda for our team.
She was the missing puzzle piece that we didn’t even know we needed.
We
couldn’t have done any of this without you.
I
want to thank everyone here today for all of the time and love you all poured
into this organization. It has made my job infinitely more enjoyable and
worthwhile. I couldn’t have asked for a better council or a more fantastic
group of people to spend my year with.
Thank
you for the good times. Thank you for the memories. And thank you for letting
me be even just a small part of your lives. I love you all and I am really
going to miss you wonderful people.
