<p>Hello CC friends--</p>
<p>I'm writing to let you know that after 20 years here in the Office of Admission (following 4 wonderful years as a UR student myself), I'm packing up my personal things and moving on to some new personal and professional adventures. </p>
<p>It has been so much fun to be part of this forum. I have loved the things I've learned from interacting with all of you--the ways the public interprets our messages, wonders about our inner-workings and generally the degree to which so many of you are so incredibly well informed about the process. On some level, that last part worries me more than a little bit. While it is great to research and try to make informed choices, I do think the level of information can be something that gets in the way and bogs people down in believing that there is a scientific way to make the choice about where to pursue higher education. Certainly, schools are different in ways both tangible and intangible, and it is valuable to understand what you are getting, but I do think it is possible to over-think the whole thing. And there are more important problems in the world that need our critical energy as a nation and as a world. </p>
<p>Don't lose sight of the fact that your success has more to do with YOU and your effort to take advantage of what a place has to offer than it does with what particular school you choose. </p>
<p>I'm hopeful that my colleagues here in the Office of Admission will pick up where I've left off and continue to participate in this forum and I've been assured that they will (but maybe that's part of their way to get me to actually leave!). But I'm going to take the UR Admissions screen name with me so that the new voice will have a new name to reduce confusion. I won't post again as "UR Admissions" but I expect I'll be back on CC with a new identity at some point to sing the praises of Richmond as just a satisfied, proud alum. </p>
<p>For those who will be joining Richmond as a student in the fall, I know you will love it here as much as I did, even though it is a very different place today than when I arrived here way back when. Please make an effort to be open to new people and new experiences. People say Richmond is not diverse, but it is more diverse than what you can see with your eyes and way more diverse than we usually get credit for. You may have to "raise your antenna" to detect differences in some people, but don't presume that just because someone looks like you that their life experiences are the same as your own. </p>
<p>For those of you who are parents, thank you for your investment in this place. It is worth the efforts you make to find the resources to do it and your children's futures will pay dividends perhaps beyond what you've imagined. </p>
<p>To my fellow alumni out there--thanks for joining the chorus here. I'm looking forward to joining you in the outside world as an interested and loyal alum! </p>
<p>To current UR students--thanks so much for giving voice to the student experience and sharing that with folks here. It is enormously valuable! I want everyone to know that student participation here is organic--we don't "staff" this board with students although now and then I have asked some to comment on particular questions or threads when I've known them to be interested in the topic. They are here because they want to help you get to know the place. </p>
<p>There are lots of things I'm going to miss about this position. But participating here and interacting with all of you will be high on my list. </p>
<p>Best wishes to all! Go Spiders!</p>