Congratulations... - #SOL18 3/5/18

 **I'm so grateful to the #SOL community for welcoming me each and every time I post a slice. Thank you so very much to the team at Two Writing Teachers for coordinating and hosting this slicing community for the entire month of March for the Slice of Life Challenge. You all rock!!**

During this year's challenge, my plan is to reflect on a slice of my life from that day, or the day before, and write about it. No theme to tie my writing together this year, no plans ahead of time.  Just glimpses into slices of my days. Not having a plan is a very uncomfortable place for me, both as a person and a writer, so fingers crossed for the 27 days remaining!


Dear xxxxxxx,
            Congratulations on your acceptance to Miami University's College of Education, Health, and Society...

A friend, and sorority sister, asked me recently to write some welcome notes to students who had been accepted at Miami (my alma mater), and had expressed interest in the College of EHS. Three of us gathered together last Thursday to begin these celebratory notes, and I completed my last batch of notes this morning.

The goal was to congratulate these students on their acceptance to Miami and this particular college, and to connect them to the community of Miamians who came before them.

As I wrote these notes this morning, I was catapulted back 45 years to my senior year in high school when I got my acceptance to Miami. What a day of celebration that was for me! I remember my high school guidance counselor who had assured me I did not have what it took to get into Miami, but I fell in love during my college visit there, and it was the school of my dreams so I applied anyway. (One guess as to the first person with whom I shared my acceptance letter at school??!! Ha!)

As an alum, and as a retiree, it was a no-brainer when I was asked to help out with this welcoming task. I hope some of these students will end up officially calling Oxford home for their college career. I know it was a life-changing experience for me.

**Sidenote - I was assigned a list of students who live in, or near, my zip code. Imagine my delight when one of those students was a former 5th grade student of mine!! All the notes were fun to write, but that one got even a little more personalization!