Not a Math Guy, But They Told Me Today That This is Year #5 For Me At The University. Great to Have a Good Lunch

Let's do the arithmetic. I came to Fairfield University in 2011, then followed with 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. This is 2016.

That equates to:

2011-2012
2012-2013
2013-2014
2014-2015
2015-2016

Yep. They're correct, I'm heading into my 6th year. Phew! That was fast. It takes me a second to get my head around the numbers as they work in academic terms. We think of years in terms of 1st and 2nd semester and not ball drop to New Year's Eve.

Blink of an eye.

I was honored to be among the guests being recognized for service to southern Connecticut (me with a meager 5 years compared to the 10s, 15s, 20s, 25s, 30s 35s, 40s, and 45s - yes, people really give a lot of time to the University). I took the break mid-day while editing audio for a cool project I've been part of, and then I began thinking of the work that has been done since arriving:

• Bank of America Grants,
• Several Writing Our Lives conferences
• the LRNG/John Legend Work
• Kwame Alexander on campus
• Matt de la Pena on campus
• almost $500,000 in grants
• the creation of Ubuntu Academy
• the creation of Young Adult Literacy Labs
• 6 years of teacher leadership institutes 
• 5 years of Poetry For Peace
• 5 years of MLK Essay Contest
• the 2016 MLK Vision Award
• eeks - 3 administrative assistants
• 100s and 100s of hours of delivered professional development
• the welcoming of Chitunga into my permanent work

Wow. that's a quick sketch of what it's been (and nothing is more important to me than the last bullet).

Year 5. I will take it. In another 5 I'll be tied with my time at Brown (and lord knows this is a completely different ballgame).

I'm not weirded out by the # of years as much as how fast the years go by. I guess I just need to roll with it, which I will. Midweek - much to due and I'm already ready for summer vacation. I seemed to have missed this one.