“The Most Impactful Thing”
Students, faculty, and staff look back on Fall 2017
As Fall 2017 comes to a close, we asked the Southern Virginia community one question: “What’s the most impactful thing you’ve taken away from this semester?”
Photo credit and a special thanks to Sarah Foster.
“Just getting out of my comfort zone, expressing myself more and getting out there. Before I was kind of introverted and didn’t want to talk to people. I’m getting to know a lot of the students here and learning more about myself — getting out of my comfort zone and doing things that I probably wouldn’t do if I were somewhere else. And just staying on task with my schoolwork as well, being organized.” — Kaponi V., Freshman
“Don’t take things for granted. I have a son away in the military. We get split on holidays, and that’s when I really miss him the most. When you’re just working and working and working and thinking that’s the most important thing — it’s your family and the relationships you build. Just don’t take them for granted. They’re very important. Especially the way everybody’s carrying on these days. People have got to have people they can turn to and trust.” — Effie W., Staff
“I’m in charge of my future here. There’s a bunch of different ways I’ve learned that through SVU. I think one is the great professors. One of my business professors, he helped me open my eyes to something that I liked that I didn’t know before. Even though I’m a junior I can still go that route and I can still create it for myself. The door is open; the possibilities are endless for creating my own future.” — Jack S., Junior
“This semester all of my classes really relate, or interconnect. And then they connect with things like General Conference, which is really cool. In one of my classes we were reading the poem The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner about the albatross, and then it was mentioned in one of the talks at Conference. So this semester it was interesting to see how things that aren’t normally connected are, if you look for it and know more.” —Sarah M., Senior
“At the beginning of the semester we had a faculty meeting with President Wilcox… He talked about us being more compassionate and accepting of differences and uniqueness, while also setting an example of appropriate dress and grooming. I’ve been trying to do these things, to be less judgmental based on physical appearance. At a different faculty meeting we discussed mental health issues among students, and I’ve had to interact with several students that suffer from anxiety and depression. I’ve been more mindful and concerned with my students’ physical and mental health.” —Professor Fuentes, Faculty
“Patience. I feel like patience is very important. Especially coming from injury, and trying to just learn to be patient waiting for my ability to be able to play again. Being able to just walk again is a blessing on it’s own. I had a foot injury and I had to get surgery over summertime, it had me sit out for a long time. Now I’m starting to be able to run again like I was before.” — James Y., Junior
“Usually when I have little time to do things I just freeze up. But I’ve learned this semester that when it really matters, I can actually deliver. For instance, just now I was reading my textbook instead of zonking out on the couch or getting something to eat. Even though I probably should get something to eat. I’ve learned a lot more about myself, about reserves of strength I didn’t know I had to just buckle down and do things.” —Neal R., Senior
“I’m taking Reason and the Self with Dr. Jones, and I’m just really understanding that I really don’t know anything. And that’s okay. They talk about how a liberal arts education is education for free people. I feel that way... Here [at SVU], I’m actually being forced to think, ‘Okay, yeah I believe in these things, but why? Is it because it’s something that I’ve always just grown up knowing?’ Now I can actually think through things. So that’s been cool for me — it’s been liberating.” — Nicole S., Junior
“There’s a big difference between having faith in a miracle, or having faith in an outcome, and faith in God. It is stupid to take twenty-one credits, even if you can fit it in your schedule. You’ll be high-key stressed, and then you’ll resort to drinking caffeine at an excessive rate. Always drive the speed limit in BV. Not that I’ve ever been pulled over in B — I’ve actually been pulled over once in BV, but I didn’t get a ticket. But I know a lot of people who get tickets in BV.” — Olivia E., Sophomore
“For me it would be the phrase we learn on the lacrosse team: ‘better your best.’ For anything you do in life — whether it’s athletic, spiritual, academic, social — in every aspect you better your best from there on out. So, growing in friends, becoming better in your sport, learning new skills and talents. Also, I think one of the more important aspects is finding who your mentor is and connecting with them.” —Derek L., Senior
