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When I think about all of the advisers that I have had as a student
leader over the past four years, a few stand out above the rest. One of
them who has really impacted my journey not just as a student or leader,
but also as a person, is Meghan Jagnow. March is a month packed with
tests, assignments, and spring break for students; staff selection and
conferences for full-time professionals. Despite all the busy
activities of the month, and Meghan being gone from campus for two
weeks, I felt more support from her than ever. I am the President of the Tau Alpha Epsilon chapter of NRHH at the
University of Arkansas, and Meghan is one of two of our advisers. At
the beginning of the month I made a list of all I had to get done:
Oshkosh Placement Exchange, several tests, on-campus grad school
interview, and that does not even cover half of what I ended up doing!
Meghan is a full-time hall director in the building I am a resident
assistant in, so I always walk by her office for a little pep-talk or
even just to see her cheery smile! When I found out I would be
Meghan-less for much of the month, I was honestly worried that I would
not have the focus and drive that she inspires within me. Meghan did not let me down at all during March. In fact, she went
above and beyond in supporting myself and our chapter. Both of our
advisers out of town for our general body meeting, but Meghan made sure
we had a substitute-adviser in their place. Because Meghan went out of
her way to do this, we started off our shoe drive service project
without a hitch, as well as dealt with some contentious OTM debates. The next thing I faced during March was attending the Oshkosh
Placement Exchange. This was a really stressful event for me, as I had
never been to anything like it before. I had not seen Meghan the whole
week before I left, and as I got to Wisconsin I kept wishing I could
hear Meghan’s voice and experience her positive attitude. On the
morning of my busiest day of interviews I went to check my mailbox. I
was pleasantly surprised to find it stuffed with folders, envelopes, and
swag. I was anxious to see what schools had sent me correspondence. As
I shuffled through the papers I noticed a little purple envelope with my
name on it, covered in hearts and smiley faces. I recognized the
handwriting and knew right away that Meghan had mysteriously sent me a
message. As I opened up the letter, tears of joy started filling my
eyes. This wonderful woman, professional, and role model to me went out
of her way to send me support from hundreds of miles away. As I read
her card it was just like we were sitting in her office. I could hear
her voice and support in every word I read. As I look back on my relationship with Meghan, especially this
month, I am so impressed with her dedication to my success and the
success of our chapter. I am about to begin my work in the field of
student affairs, and I hope to be half the adviser Meghan is for me.
She is the perfect combination of keeping me accountable, supporting me,
and inspiring me. It has been a joy to work with Meghan, and I will
always value everything she does for me and our NRHH chapter. Word Count: 597
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