It’s been a while since I last wrote. Please forgive me--2009 came in like a whirlwind and hasn’t slowed down yet.
The good news is my freshman is only about six weeks away from being a college sophomore! It’s a challenge just to try to think back on all that has happened with her since that big day in August when my husband, my son and I made that long solemn trip back to Austin from Conway. Grace made it through her first semester of finals without too much drama. I didn’t ask a lot of probing questions. I just sat back and observed. It was a good experience for her and, as with most of her new college experiences, she learned something from it.
The holidays came and, since she had to be back at school early for training, we only had a few days here at home with her before she headed back to school on the 28th of December.
Luckily, she has met some very good friends and some generous and supportive parents who took her into their home and treated her like one of there own, (thank you Beth and Brian) so her holidays were still full of good friends and family--it was just further north than usual.
Grace is a swimmer so the team was at the peak of their training season the beginning of the year, getting ready for their conference meet in Nashville (the second weekend in February). Some local parents of swimmers made sure the kids got some good meals and went out of their way to make sure the kids were taken care of on campus (since they don’t have the usual cafeteria services). From this parent, “Thank you for your efforts.”
Classes started up for the second semester and with the conference meet just ahead of her, Grace took off full steam into the second half of her freshman year of college. I am amazed at how much she has matured since coming to Hendrix. Her ability to problem solve and work through challenging situations has blossomed. And she hasn’t faced this on her own; she has been supported by her friends, teachers and coaches and has figured out how to go out and find help and assistance for things from grades to illness.
SCAC was a big payoff for Grace’s hard work this year. She did very well at the swim meet, as did her teammates and the team as a whole. She felt very good about the results of her efforts, both personally and as a member of the team, and I can’t say enough good things about the coaches who supported and nurtured these kids through a great season.
Now that spring break is over, (I did not get to see my child--she had other fun things to do), Grace is looking at the end of her first year of college. She’s talking about what she wants to do for the summer--work, internships, etc. And she’s talking about financial aid and class choices for next year and her Odyssey project. I just stand here in amazement that I sent my little girl off to Hendrix seven months ago, and now she’s all grown up.
And the bonus to all of this…. it’s not just about the academics, it’s not just about the swimming, it’s not just about her being away from home on her own, being a college student and having fun. It’s about being in an environment that supports and nurtures her so she can develop the skills she needs to be a happy, healthy, productive individual who understands how to work hard to reach a goal and how important it is to give back.
Hendrix is a place that develops the whole student, and they told us that when we brought her here last August. But now I’ve seen it for myself, and it’s true.