RA Appreciation Day

Today, February 15th, is Staff Appreciation Day! 

In honor of the day we just wanted to take a moment and tell you how much we appreciate you and how important you are to us!

There is no one on the University of Florida campus who knows your residents even half as well as you do.  And since we know that your residents often do not thank you for all you do – 

we wanted to say thanks for:

Quieting down the floor at 11:00pm so that someone could study better and get an “A” on their next days exam – because of you they were a more successful student.

For opening your door to that tearful person and letting him/her pour their heart out, even though you really just wanted to go to sleep – because of you they felt less alone.

For changing on-calls with your colleague and being a positive and helpful part of the staff team – because of you, we felt more like a family.

For showing up to start with – without you there would be no one to tie your residents to the rest of the building or the Gator Nation–

because of you, they are a community.

For the hundreds of tiny (and not so tiny) things that you do on a regular basis that no one ever gets to see. We thank you so much and hope that you know what a HUGE difference you make in the lives of your residents and fellow staff members – without you, we would all be so much less!!!! 

We feel very fortunate to be able to work with you and are

glad that you are a part of the Housing Family!

With our Thanks and Respect,

scott!

Graduation

Dear Class of 2011,

I don't have the words to really say everything I want to you all., and some of you hold a very, very special place in my world. Although I don't get to see and spend time with you all as much as I used to, or as much as I'd like to, the times I do get, are all that much more fun.

Thanks for the good times and working through the bad times. Thanks for your help at 100 degree days on check in, and... what appears today to be about 95 degrees at check out (gotta love Florida!). Thanks for enduring and going for it anyway with Gatorspace. Thanks for taking a roommate in 2009 when you didn't want one. Thanks for doing rounds after football games when you just wanted to go right to Swamp. Thank you for supporting our programs and new ideas as well as each other. Thanks for just getting the job done when we changed how you do check out 2 weeks before checkout.

I hope we've showed you a little bit about what life is like, because you've certainly helped us see what our life is all about. It is my sincere hope that we meet again and can enjoy a laugh, a cry, an adult beverage, or even just a FB note from time to time.

If you take only one thing from your time here as a staff member or AG member... Know that you made a difference at the greatest University in the world. Somewhere, someone, will get more out of life because of something you've done, coordinated, made available, said, or stopped from happening. They may never say thanks for that, but I will.

Congratulations on your great accomplishment, and thanks again.

May your love change the world. "... all Hail, Florida, Hail.".

Go Gators,
scott!

I think I have a blog...

So, after an attempt to get this done via GoDaddy.com and then some more cash laid down to add content via word press and some consideration of Joomla... I came across my friend Becky's blog and realized that this type of option may be available for me!! Who knew...

So this is my first shot at blogging.

I don't imagine I'll be on here spewing my feelings about how my day went or venting about who was wearing what on the red carpet.

Instead, I'll likely direct people here for extensions of my thoughts or messages that I've posted on Twitter or Facebook. Sometimes what I want to say takes more than 140 characters... imagine that. What you'll find here is mostly going to do with the University of Florida, the Department of Housing and Residence Education, or highlighting the accomplishments of Stockton, Western Illinois, or UF Alumni.

I hope you'll join me... that's all for now. Too nice out, because as usual...

It's a great day to be a Gator.