Our
lives are lived in moments.
When most of us make a list of what we do during a typical day, it sounds pretty dull. For example, a day from my calendar would reveal that I had attended several meetings, welcomed a visiting group of educators, provided introductory remarks to those gathered for a conference, participated in a planning luncheon, and then attended more meetings. And in between these events you would have noticed that I spent time replying to email and returning phone calls. Not so interesting on paper.
But each of those engagements build connections with others
and help me move forward the College's Strategic Plan. So
embedded within these routine-sounding daily activities are
moments of meaning and significance, making my days as dean
a more rewarding career than I could have imagined.
After welcoming a group of summer-program science teachers from Korea, I realized that through this long-running program the College is building bridges across nations as well as upgrading the quality of science instruction these visiting teachers will be prepared to deliver when they return home.
At a recent brown bag luncheon, I did some brainstorming with faculty and graduate students on how the College could attract a more diverse population. The ideas generated through this conversation have been fed to our Diversity Committee for review and implementation. Through conversations such as this, my priorities are shared and are translated into action.
High on my list of satisfactions is the ability to secure funding from alumni to support deserving projects. Recently, I had lunch with one of the College’s alumni who was in town for Homecoming. At the end of our lunch, she pledged a significant amount of money to support the College’s Curriculum Library.
When dedicating time to the pursuit of helping others, you will find that your impact is measured not by quantity. Rather, it is determined by the quality of the moments that you spend.
Ultimately, it is not about how much you do each day of your life, but how much life you put into each day.
Sandra
Bowman Damico
Dean
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