Campus is my home now. I've worked here about a year and a half, and over the past 6 months or so I've started to feel like I'm a critical team member. Since W moved out, I find myself seeking out campus activities I can participate in, seeking out ways I can connect to these great coworkers, and seeking out meaningful interactions with students.
It's wonderful. It really, really is. I feel like I'm seen, I feel like I'm heard. I want to volunteer and put in the work to make this place vibrant for the students, because it makes ME feel vibrant. I never wanted to be an educator (I'm not - I'm staff), but I have found that college is such a great age group of young adults to work with. I remember so clearly my own passion, and I watch these bright students fight for their own voices to be heard.
I manage a team of 4 or 5 students which is my own little squad of kick-butt kiddos. I think they all feel very comfortable coming to me with questions and problems (I hope). I do have one who needs a bit of managing - he's young, he is making some mistakes and needs some guidance. It's good for me to develop these skills in how to critique others while still being encouraging. I think I'm doing okay by him, but I still seek out support from other managers when I want recommendations.
Several months ago I was filmed as part of the staff LGBTQA Alliance. The alliance is making a short film where we talk about our experiences being queer and on campus from the "adult" point of view. I was proud of myself for speaking up and volunteering to be videotaped. Next up I've signed-up to tell my Coming Out story to the LGBTQA Student alliance. The club leader put out a special plea for staff/faculty participation to balance the student stories. I'm nervous but excited about telling my own story to these kids - because I was also in college when I came out to my family. It's a defining moment in anyone's life.
Of course, as Femme woman I "come-out" nearly daily. Folks would not know I'm gay looking at me. Just yesterday we had a snow storm and a coworker joked that I'd have to get my husband to plow our driveway. *Sigh*. Wrong on both counts. Not a Husband, and not really married right now. It was an honest mistake, but kind of sobering for me.
Today I spent half the day in the gorgeous library doing my own homework. Tomorrow I'm going to support one of the college's sports clubs. What a great Sunday plan. It's the crazy time in the semester where all offices start to really ramp-up production, and you start to really feel the energy as students are busting their butts to get to the finish line. I love the energy. I love the snow melting and the buds on trees. I love that on Monday there's an informal "get coffee and chat with coworkers just for fun" meeting that is on everyone's calendar.
