Thanksgiving: Day 1

One thing that I've always wanted to blog about during the month of November is things I'm thankful for in honor of Thanksgiving.  However, I have always forgotten about it and remembered about half way through the month.  If you know me, you know that I don't like half doing things, so I never posted about it just half way through the month.  Anyway, I will post daily about at least one thing that I'm thankful for and I encourage others to do the same!  These are in no particular order and will probably relate to something going on in my life that day.  So here goes...

I am thankful for students.  Without students, I wouldn't have my rewarding, full-time job at ETSU.  I wouldn't have fantastic friends in the Philippines.  My days would be incredibly boring.  I would have never found my closest friends. 

I wanted to share a few experiences that have made me very grateful for students.  This past week, it was "Thesis Defense" week in the department.  There is one more this afternoon and another later in the month.  Nervousness was quite apparent this week, so I did my best to provide encouragement.  The best thing about the whole week is seeing those graduate students right after they have passed their defenses.  They all have smiles ear-to-ear and many with tears of joys in their eyes.  Like I told Ryan last night, I love having the graduate students in the department, but I lovingly tell them that I would only like to see them for two years so they can go on to bigger and better things.  Three so far have completed that last step toward graduation.  :)

My second experience that makes me thankful for students is with two of my fraternity Brothers.  Yesterday, I was able to have lunch with one of my Littles and coffee with another Brother.  Both are still college students, and one is graduating this December.  Being able to have deep, mature conversations with both of them made me realize how blessed I am to have both of them as friends.  

Lastly tonight, the Chemistry Department is celebrating our most outstanding students who have done well in their studies and/or demonstrated excellent teaching abilities.  Even though I do not have a hand in their education as far as teaching, I am so proud of each of these students.  Chemistry is not an easy subject, but these students have excelled in specific disciplines of Chemistry and teaching Chemistry.  I just think they are awesome!

So, if you see a student, encourage them, celebrate them, and be thankful for them!