With the sun slowly setting in the west, I sit here on the grass of Virginia Tech’s historic Drillfield across one of the most inspiring buildings, Burruss Hall. I remember the first day I set foot on this campus roughly six years ago, it was a hot summer day with my sister and I posed in front of that building to take a picture. Through the years, I’ve passed that building many times always being struck by its presence, a reminder of my first days as a college student.
Reflecting back on my college years, I remember my “goal picture” for my Freshmen English class. This is a picture of myself in the grandstand near the foot of Burruss Hall overlooking the Drillfield with the War Memorial Chapel in the background. This is what I wrote nearly six years ago.
September 7,1998 Freshmen English
Pictures can mean a lot of things depending on the person. Some may just see the “surface” of the picture such as color and objects while others may take it deeper. Some may interpret my goal picture differently but I see it as the foundation to my future.
The reason why I chose to take a picture of the Drillfield is because it represents my life. The open field is the opportunities that lay before me. The world is out there for me to discover and conquer but before I can do that I have to prepare myself. The wall that I am standing in front of represents the education that I need to grab the opportunities. Virginia Tech is the key to obtaining my “field of dreams.”
Secondly, the Memorial Chapel in the background represents my faith in the Lord. I know that through the process of achieving my goals in life I will be faced with obstacles. When I feel that I cannot handle it any more I can always count on God to help me through the hard times. God will always be a part of my life.
Finally, I am the only person who can make things possible for myself. I am the person who controls my life. I am the one who decides to reach for my goals or not. The only person that knows me is myself. I have to be the person that I want to be and not depend on anyone for deciding my future. I control my future.
I know now that I do control my future. I learned from experience that in time and with patience opportunity is going to present itself. Looking around I see my peers in different phases of their lives. Some are struggling to make a living and finding a direction. While others are advancing their education – postponing the jump into the real world. Others are still continuing their education. Others are moving on into the work force whether it be in their field or not.
One year ago, I did not see myself still here in Blacksburg as an Assistant Manager Senior at Dietrick Dining Center. One year ago, I worried about whether I would graduate from college and earn that framed piece of paper hanging over my desk right now. Maybe it was my stubbornness of not wanting things to change that caused me to not apply for art related jobs and stick with my job at Dietrick. Which some would say “why?” and my response would be, “I started something that I needed to finish before moving on.” In other words;
Continue with what you started.
Build with what you learned.
Dream with your heart and mind.
This cannot but sum up this whole experience. I have the perfect opportunity to learn and grow in this field with this new challenge.
I know now that this is a transition year for me; a point in my life where I know where I’ve been, I know where I am and I know where I want to go. Combining all that I have learned, all of my passions together to create the person that I was meant to be.
Father Layton P. Zimmer said it best, “It is really important for me to do the best I can now, to be the most I can to be the me I was created to be, with what I have where I am.”
I’ve always had a good sense and passion for art. Combining that passion with my current endeavor is perfect in realizing my goal of establishing my own restaurant. The final piece to that foundation would be obtaining formal culinary arts training. I’ve set myself up for that next phase of my journey. But I will not hurry my time here. I’m going to learn all that I can with the people around me. As one of my bosses told me the other day… I’m in a position that he was not in when he was my age. Encouraging words for me as I endeavor into this phase of my life.
The sun is retreating into the night sky. Shadows of yesterday appear. I see in the clear blue sky the hope of tomorrow; the time that has not past, the opportunities lay before me, the green grass reminds me of that….
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