A 16 Hour Shift

On Friday, all 24 of my residents and nearly 250 in my building moved in, beginning their time at LMU, just as I did a year ago. My work began the minute I opened my door at 6am and did not end until my last shift at 10pm. In those 16 hours, I experienced a myriad of emotions, ranging from exhaustion and frustration to humble joy. Over and over again, I was filled with such love for my university, for my studies, and for my work. I am so blessed to say that, a year after my move in, on my 16 hour RA shift, I knew that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.

This is not to say the transition to college was easy or that I always felt that I fit in at LMU. In fact, neither is true. Moving away from my family, my brother, my friends, and the life I knew was one of the hardest things I have done. For much of my first year, I felt as if I did not fit into my place at LMU - I was more academic than the other dance majors, I read different literature than the English majors, I was less competitive than the Honors students. I spent a lot of my first year frustrated and worried that I was not the student LMU was looking for. How misguided my fears were.

In the year to come, I learned that LMU values individuals more than anything. I can be myself - a quirky Dance and English double major with a love of church choir and blogging while also being an RA. My professors, my friends, my residents, my coworkers appreciate my genuine whole self, rather than the self that tried to conform to the generic realities of a mere facet of my identity.

Ironically, I first memorized LMU's mission statement right before my RA interview after someone mentioned that we would have to recite it (I did not). Now, I believe so wholeheartedly in LMU's mission statement that I have its three parts commemorated in my heart. Ask the RAs, I shouted it out during a training session. Yes, it is nerdy, but I am passionate about it. And here is why:

The encouragement of learning marks the first part of the mission statement. Although I study at a distinguished institution, the focus lies not in grades and test scores but in the accumulation and application of knowledge. What good is the student who receives perfect scores in Organic Chemistry if his or her bedside manner as a doctor is rude and discomforting? Similarly, what good is the writer who has perfect grammar but lacks nuance and charisma? Or what good is the dancer who can execute fantastic movements but has no meaning? I love to learn, and my university supports this first and foremost. It is a subtle change from high school that has made all the difference in my studies and my personal life. 

The next part of the mission statement, the education of the whole person, builds on the first to extend the importance of a holistic education. Not only do professors focus on growth of the mind, but of the body and soul as well. This is particularly evident in the Dance major, where mind, body, and soul are constantly joined in my practice and my performance.

The final part involves the service of faith and the promotion of justice. I have a deeply internal desire for justice and equity in the world, and every single student at LMU is encouraged to find a way in which our passions can meet our purpose. Honestly, this is what keeps me getting out of bed every single morning. I am working toward using what I love to create a better world, simply by doing and being myself. I do not have to abandon dancing to help marginalized communities, but I also cannot dance without being conscious of those who are less privileged than I am.

This mission, the encouragement of learning, the education of the whole person, and the service of faith and the promotion of justice, is why I worked a 16 hour shift on Friday. It is why I wake up every morning happy to be alive and to be here. This mission shapes who I am and who I want to be. I have never been so sure that I am in the right place as I am now.