Thank you, Santa Clara

I am overflowing with emotion as I wear a white hoodie with the words “Santa Clara” stamped in bold red on it. Staring at me from the coffee table is Dexter — a brown teddy bear wearing a red Santa Clara University tee.

He is surrounded by a slew of greeting cards, gifts, and plants, all of which hold the best wishes and love showered upon me today by my colleagues.

For one year and eight months I laughed, vented, walked, ate, and worked with an amazing group of people. Folks who, while being thorough professionals, cared for me as family.

I know I will stay in touch with many of them, not as former coworkers, but as friends.

It’s hard to leave. It’s even harder when the people you work with love you as much as I have been loved.

While I move on to a new chapter in my life that will unfold next week, I want to take this time to express my gratitude to everyone at Santa Clara University who made this journey so enjoyable.

Thank you, Russ, for helping this writer discover the photographer in her.

Thank you, Ronnie, for being my mom — you listened, you chided, you fixed my clothes, you advised, you cared, and above all, you were always there to share my achievements and my frustrations.

Thank you, Linda, for being my “other” mom — always the calm, steady voice who taught me patience and grace.

Thank you, Patti, for your exuberance, your wisdom, your words of encouragement, and your affectionate friendship.

Thank you, Maureen, for always smiling and saying “yes” no matter what the problem or the circumstance.

Thank you, Dona, for being ever-ready to take on the extra load, for your guidance, and your willingness to collaborate on many a project. And a special thanks for sharing your space with me … I couldn’t have asked for a better officemate.

Thank you, Connie, for being the straightshooter you are.

Thank you, Deb, for that sunshiney smile and introducing me to the hashtag guru on Twitter (you know who I am talking about).

Thank you, Deepa, for keeping me “Indian.”

Thank you, Christine C., for bringing a sense of calm in the midst of a storm — I could always count on you, no matter what.

Thank you, Christine G., for being such a tremendous asset — I knew whom to turn to everytime “the system” had me pull my hair.

Thank you, Margaret, for being such an awesome storyteller … no matter where I am, I will always chuckle thinking about your adventures as a grandma.

Thank you, Brian, for being a pillar of sound expertise — you are a rare gem and it was truly an honor learning from you.

Thank you, Steven, for your confidence in me, for spurring me on, for being my mentor, advisor, and friend.

Thank you, Chuck, for introducing me to the world of higher-ed photojournalism — you validate the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

Thank you, Allena, for your enthusiasm, generosity, and kindred spirit.

Thank you, Lindsey, for being a dream intern — without your help, I don’t know if I could have accomplished as much as I did; your contributions were critical and I see you becoming a very successful communications specialist some day.

Thank you, Jon, Liz, and Liza, for all your editorial support — you brought in so much fresh energy and exuberance to the team.

Thank you, Albert, Ruben, and Yvonne, for being such willing consumers of crookies; you restored confidence in my baking skills and for that I owe you … well, more crookies!

And last, but not least, thank you Rich — I have tremendous respect for you and always appreciated your support, your faith in me, and your encouragement so I could do better, push harder, and achieve more.

I may have left employment at SCU, but I want all of you to know that you have a special place in my heart. I am grateful our paths crossed and I hope that someday, sometime, somwhere, they shall cross again.

Onwards,

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011 Mansi Bhatia

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Tags: family, friends, friendship, office, personal, professional, relationships

This entry was posted on March 11, 2011 at 7:06 pm and is filed under personal, professional. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.