!!! FIESTA !!!
Welcome back from Spring Break! Maybe you went to the beach at South Padre Island or Port Aransas or went snow skiing in New Mexico, Colorado or Idaho. Maybe you went home to be with family or friends. Maybe you just stayed here and chilled. Maybe you spent time with that special someone or found that special someone. Good memories. Whatever you did, I hope you had a great time.
Now that your third year is almost over, it is time to balance fun and future. Looking back, think about how much fun you had during the past three years and what you accomplished. Think about the fun you will have next year. What do you see in your future? What do you want to accomplish during your senior year? What do you need to do that? What will be your motivation?
There is a LOT to do before the semester is over. Spring Family Weekend is March 27 - 29. I hope that you and your family get together for that. Now is the time to apply for summer jobs and internships. Finals are May 6 - 12, so get ready for them now. Don't try to do an all-nighter just before the exams. Pace yourself. Review your notes a little every day - that way you won't be overwhelmed. If you haven't already joined a study group, now would be a good time to do so. It makes preparing for finals a little more tolerable. And you won't need to be jacked up on Red Bull!
The commencement ceremony is on May 16. I bring that up because even though you won't be graduating on that day a lot of your friends will. That means they won't be on campus when the fall semester starts. But you will. So, as your friends cross the stage and receive their diplomas, picture yourself doing that about a year from now. What will it be like? Awesome! Envision your family sitting in Laurie Auditorium and being so proud of you. Think about all that you and your classmates have been through and the relationships you established. As time goes by, you will realize how much you cherish those memoires.
Think about what you will do after you graduate. Will you go to graduate school, law school, medical school, nursing school, pharmacy school? Will you join the Peace Corp. or a NGO and travel the world? Will you join the work force or be an entrepreneur? What will you offer to the world when you leave Trinity?
Fiesta is just a few weeks away. It runs from April 16 - 26. If you have never done any Fiesta activity, you have got to check it out. It is a San Antonio tradition. For more information, go to www.fiesta-sa.org. I have lived in San Antonio for 50 years and always look forward to Fiesta. Last year, I had the privilege of riding on the Trinity barge in the Night River Parade with President Ahlburg and some faculty, students and alumni. It was GREAT!!! I hope you get to do that. You should consider being a handler for Leroy (tiger balloon) for the Battle of Flowers Parade. If you like oysters be sure to check out St. Mary's University's Oyster Bake. Don't worry, there are lots of other foods and beverages to choose from. Oh, I'm sure you already know about College Night at NIOSA. Have fun, but be responsible!
Let me leave you with some inspirational quotes from Steve Jobs:
* Things don't have to change the world to be important.
* If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know it when
you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.
I look forward to being with you again, especially at the New Student Move-In on August 20. Call me at (210) 771-0030 if you have questions or just need to talk.
Kim Pettit - Alumni Sponsor for Class of 2016
Kim Pettit
Alumni Sponsor
