When I got to college at the age of
25 I hadn’t been involved in my community much and wasn’t very interested in
joining the clubs around campus. Getting acclimated to the notes, homework and
test thing after a 5 year break was about all I could handle. A work study job at our info. desk finally got me
involved and gave me a genuine interest in my campus. Showing up and doing the best job I could impressed a few key people, who eventually offered me the opportunity to serve as the Club
Coordinator at Front Range Community College. I went from minimal involvement to a
leadership role in two semesters.

About three weeks after getting
this job – in a system I was fairly unfamiliar with mind you – my boss left…he was there on Wednesday and  was gone on Thursday…AHHHHH!
I was greener than baby poo and still wondering exactly what my job was about.
The director of student life, my former bosses boss, was put into survival mode (her words)
after losing another full-time faculty member, putting more responsibility on me and another student worker while interviews were
conducted and student life went on…for a full semester.

I’ve finally been able to slow down and do a
bit of retrospection and have realized the power of keeping a service-minded attitude.
It’s been the most effective tool I’ve used to stay focused, learn in a high
stress environment, and keep myself sane! My purpose as club coordinator is to help
students learn outside of the class room, help take some of the
stress off of my superiors, co-workers and fellow students, and have fun, an attitude which allows me
to take things less personally and consider issues with a clearer head. Remaining pointed in this direction has sometimes pulled me in different
directions. Armed with the intention of finding a level ground (not necessarily
that which I’d prefer to stand on), an “us versus them” mentality hasn’t existed
much, which could easily have been the case considering the stress and
confusion of last semester. It has been hard finding the balance between
wanting people to like me and doing what my superiors expect of me, and it
would be easy to pat myself on the back, but I feel I’d be taking ownership for the accomplishments of others. I have gotten a lot of help during the last 7 months,
and I’ve learned a ton. My superiors, co-workers and fellow students teach
me and enrich my life. Without their help, and having a higher purpose than just getting paid, I couldn’t be where I am today.