The farewells begin

Last Thursday, we hosted our Admissions interns for an end-of-year lunch.  For two, it’s only farewell until September.  For three of the interns, it was a more final goodbye.  We’ll see them at Commencement, of course, but after that they are all off to do good things in the world.

This week, the pace of farewells accelerates.  When not busy having a great time with classmates, students will stop in to say goodbye.  One first-year dropped off plants that I will be plant-sitting for the summer.  Others just want to touch base before they leave.  Honestly, while I’m always proud to have played the tiniest of roles in launching students in their new careers, the dominant emotion is wistfulness.  And not only because it’s a little lonely for us staffers in the summer.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of recruiting writers for the Five-Year Updates and First-Year Alumni posts has been reconnecting with old pals.  It was so nice to correspond with Jelana and Ivette, for example — friends from when they spent lots of time in the Admissions Office.  And I recently received an invitation to an alum’s wedding in Tunisia.  That is, once students leave the campus, we can still create opportunities to remain in touch.  I can feel happy about their graduation, knowing that it isn’t the end of our contact with each other.