Smart Women

Smart Women.  It’s been on my brain all day long.

One of my good friends from my sister class here at SBC sent me the amazing link about how to talk to little girls in order to help foster and promote strong, independent, free thinking women.  Earlier today I had the good fortune to be in on a planning meeting for our soon-to-be-official Performing Arts open house with our very own CEG and two of our very dynamic female Performing Arts professors (talk about being in a room surrounded by smart women!), and I’m so pumped to be involved on this project (and I can’t wait to share details when they’re ready!)!  And then the icing on the cake, someone out there used the search term “smart sweet briar girls” and found their way to this little corner of the blogosphere.

Does it get any cooler than that?!

My coach used to tell us constantly, “Smart women play field hockey, and exceptionally smart women play hockey at Sweet Briar.”  I think smart women in general, hockey or not, choose Sweet Briar.  How can you not when you have a 9:1 student to faculty ratio, 3200 acres of gorgeous land, and a community solely dedicated to the success of our young women, of YOU?

So I hope you’re have a Smart Women day too–I’d love to hear what you do to foster smart women around you!

Back in the Saddle

I feel like so much has changed since the last time I blogged and it’s hard to encapsulate all that in one post, but here’s the nitty gritty, Faithful Bleaders!

• While I don’t hold a lot of stock in Titles–I really believe it’s the quality of your work and the presence of your work ethic that makes a difference–I was very happy to receive the news that I’m now an Associate Director of Admissions.  Personally and Professionally I am just thrilled, and thought you all might be excited to know as well.
• Today is my second day back from a three week Staycation.  What do Admissions Counselors do on a staycation?  Well, I invite you to check that out here–I warn you, it involves lots, and lots of baked goods.
• We graduated the Class of 2011.  Words don’t do justice how I feel about this group–they’re amazing, wonderful young women and they will be missed dearly;  however, they are going to change the world, and I’m excited to see all the wonderful things they are going to do!
• The biggest change, however, is that I have taken over the event planning position here in our office.  This is going to mean a variety of different things, but the main things will be my travel is going to be downsized, and I will be planning all of the admissions events on campus, like our Fall Open Houses, Accepted Applicants Weekends and the like.

Lots and lots of big professional changes here, but I’m really excited to see what this year brings and the opportunity to meet the next batch of Sweet Briar Women.  Since a lot of my responsibilities here will be shifting and evolving, I hope you all will bear with me as I share some of that here on the blog.

Happy Tuesday from Sunny and Beautiful Sweet Briar!

Silhouette

In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m knicking this from LC’s Facebook page.  I thought it was a highly appropriate summing up of graduation this weekend.  Thanks, LC!

Also knicked from LC's FB page

“A Silhouette” was written by the late James Thrash on SBC’s Graduation Day, May 14, 1978. Mr. Thrash was the father of Ann Thrash Jones ’78 and Carole Thrash Collins ’87 and grandfather of Mary Patrick Jones ’08.

A two-day rain was swept away

by a wind from Daisy’s grave.

The shrubs and grass were soaking green
and the clouds were broken gray.

Yet, happiness lifted all the hearts
and the brass quintet did play.
Interrupted only by the courtyard bells
on Graduation Day.

The graduates formed their long black line
marching through the trees.
It was then that I caught sight of mine
a silhouette in the breeze.

Her cap was tilted forward
her gown so straight, did flow.
Her posture, as youth would know it
her steps, so quick, not slow.

For some, life comes in stretches
and days pass in a blink.
It was then that I saw my loved one
was mature within a wink.

Who knows how to define it -
what makes a lady grow.
Until you meet her eye to eye
and then somehow you know.

That everything you wished for
is standing before you now.
The product of her environment,
Sweet Briar take a bow.

Oh Scarecrow….

I just wrote a thank you note to a student, and realized that in a week and a day, she’s going to graduate.  We all know it’s coming, but this is the first time it’s really hit me for this class of 2010.  It’s the first class I worked with throughout their entire experience, and I’m so insanely proud of them.

But it’s always hard to say goodbye….