Hello!
My fellow classmates and I know just how lucky we are to have had the opportunity to attend this school for the last two years together, one that is devoted to the service of others. We have traveled the world and worked throughout the dynamic state of Arkansas striving towards to reach goals that may perhaps create the conditions to move communities upwards, and than in turn, for individual lives that create everyday impact. In committing our studies to this work, we have learned that the service journey inherently also requires pushing
There are public service opportunities everywhere, but the most important ones have proven to be found in the everyday places that we naturally find ourselves standing within. For us at the Clinton School, it was the many people sitting beside us in desks placed in these beautiful new buildings built for learning and questioning
If I was honest about how I feel, I would say our class failed at this public service often for each other- myself included. Often times people felt left out, sad classmates didn't receive phone calls, people didn't put the effort in to find out why someone was avoiding another. We felt disjointed from one another, and unconnected many days. I do not say this in a negative a way. Many reasons made for a dynamic class that was thoroughly committed to the service of others that happened outside of the school. Just not always or often enough for each other inside of it. It is in this "failing" or lack of perfection that we learn deeply. I have learned from this in so many ways and I am thankful for it. I also love each and everyone of my classmates more for walking through the last two years with me.
Today, I am writing this blog about a shining example of someone who does do service everyday at the school. For the last two years I have watched him in the background living in a way that matches his ideals. Deeply caring for us, and feeling things with us. He is a man who works on himself first, than reaches out the others around him that further embraces that learning. Today, I wanted to point him out. Alex Thomas, is the man who helped us all start here in August 2013 Director of Enrollment and Alumni Services. Alex is a quiet guy who does many things for the school in many ways-travels often, yet all of us know that he is there whether we see him day to day or not. I don’t think we realized this collectively until I was talking with classmates the other day about just how much he meant to ALL of us. We saw his service in the quotes he is was sending out individually to us at one time or another. Simple sentences intended to lift our spirits or to encourage us to press on. He knew all of us.
The conversation about quotes spiraled into more actions he has done for many like never failing to push the send button to a beautifully crafted email on important days like calming our nerves while leaving for our IPSP’s, or reminding us to reconnect and share our stories with others when coming back from abroad. These emails had the magic of coming completely from his heart- encouraging us to live up to our best selves that he always seemed to see us as. Alex is one of those people who makes time for conversations, especially when we are sad, happy, missing home, finding it hard to find balance in a life a service, or worn down. I have never walked into his office when he has been "too busy." In fact, instead, he turns his chair, and insists I sit down. I never felt like I was wasting his time. I left his often feeling more full (more whole) having shared something authentically with someone I trusted. Alex asks us important questions that ensure we think deeply and he doesn’t judge the answer.
Alex Thomas has helped us become more self-actualized people and done this through "smaller" everyday actions of intentional public service to this Clinton School Community. This is why I stand here today, on behalf of my class to thank him. So thank you Alex, for the actions listed above (my class and the many before me know there are many more to speak of). Thank you for reminding us that service can be accomplished anytime, anywhere, with whatever we have, and for whoever is around us. There is no doubt that your small acts have had great impact. It’s a practice of love, this everyday service. One that my class will take away working on mastering everyday.
My fellow classmates and I know just how lucky we are to have had the opportunity to attend this school for the last two years together, one that is devoted to the service of others. We have traveled the world and worked throughout the dynamic state of Arkansas striving towards to reach goals that may perhaps create the conditions to move communities upwards, and than in turn, for individual lives that create everyday impact. In committing our studies to this work, we have learned that the service journey inherently also requires pushing
There are public service opportunities everywhere, but the most important ones have proven to be found in the everyday places that we naturally find ourselves standing within. For us at the Clinton School, it was the many people sitting beside us in desks placed in these beautiful new buildings built for learning and questioning
If I was honest about how I feel, I would say our class failed at this public service often for each other- myself included. Often times people felt left out, sad classmates didn't receive phone calls, people didn't put the effort in to find out why someone was avoiding another. We felt disjointed from one another, and unconnected many days. I do not say this in a negative a way. Many reasons made for a dynamic class that was thoroughly committed to the service of others that happened outside of the school. Just not always or often enough for each other inside of it. It is in this "failing" or lack of perfection that we learn deeply. I have learned from this in so many ways and I am thankful for it. I also love each and everyone of my classmates more for walking through the last two years with me.
Today, I am writing this blog about a shining example of someone who does do service everyday at the school. For the last two years I have watched him in the background living in a way that matches his ideals. Deeply caring for us, and feeling things with us. He is a man who works on himself first, than reaches out the others around him that further embraces that learning. Today, I wanted to point him out. Alex Thomas, is the man who helped us all start here in August 2013 Director of Enrollment and Alumni Services. Alex is a quiet guy who does many things for the school in many ways-travels often, yet all of us know that he is there whether we see him day to day or not. I don’t think we realized this collectively until I was talking with classmates the other day about just how much he meant to ALL of us. We saw his service in the quotes he is was sending out individually to us at one time or another. Simple sentences intended to lift our spirits or to encourage us to press on. He knew all of us.
The conversation about quotes spiraled into more actions he has done for many like never failing to push the send button to a beautifully crafted email on important days like calming our nerves while leaving for our IPSP’s, or reminding us to reconnect and share our stories with others when coming back from abroad. These emails had the magic of coming completely from his heart- encouraging us to live up to our best selves that he always seemed to see us as. Alex is one of those people who makes time for conversations, especially when we are sad, happy, missing home, finding it hard to find balance in a life a service, or worn down. I have never walked into his office when he has been "too busy." In fact, instead, he turns his chair, and insists I sit down. I never felt like I was wasting his time. I left his often feeling more full (more whole) having shared something authentically with someone I trusted. Alex asks us important questions that ensure we think deeply and he doesn’t judge the answer.
Alex Thomas has helped us become more self-actualized people and done this through "smaller" everyday actions of intentional public service to this Clinton School Community. This is why I stand here today, on behalf of my class to thank him. So thank you Alex, for the actions listed above (my class and the many before me know there are many more to speak of). Thank you for reminding us that service can be accomplished anytime, anywhere, with whatever we have, and for whoever is around us. There is no doubt that your small acts have had great impact. It’s a practice of love, this everyday service. One that my class will take away working on mastering everyday.
