Greetings and welcome to this segment of From My Notepads.
As I reflect upon the fall semester,
I'm struck by the depth of activity that has occurred
at East Tennessee State University. From the opening of an expanded CPA
to continued construction on our parking facility
to enhanced green space in the heart of the institution
to now beautiful lights that celebrate the holiday season.
I'm deeply impressed by the individuals who every day roll up their sleeves
and make these opportunities possible. Often it's the people behind the scenes
that do the work of the institution that are lost in the shuffle.
But it says people behind the scenes are grounds crew,
facilities, custodial services, who make the operations of the University
run so smoothly. And to each of those groups and to everyone across the
institution
I want to say thank you. Thank you for what you've done for ETSU
this fall. Thank you for what you've done for our students to help make their
dreams come true
but most importantly to every member of the ETSU family,
from students to faculty to alumni, to members in the community,
thank you for the support that you provided both to myself
and to my family over the course of the past three weeks.
Three weeks ago on my way to an event at Shelbridge,
an event hosting outstanding high school seniors from across the region,
I was in an automobile accident. That accident
has, in many respects, brought my semester to a close,
but it's not brought the work of the institution to a close.
Our faculty, our staff, our administrative team led by Dr. Wilsie Bishop,
has continued to make the institution move forward
and we're now approaching the close of the semester where this weekend we'll
graduate another class of students. To everyone at the institution,
thank you for what you have done to continue to ensure that this semester
runs smoothly. I want to take a moment to personally reflect upon
the experiences that I've had over the course of the past three weeks.
I'm beyond humbled by the expressions of
care, concern, thought and prayer that I've received
from everyone across East Tennessee. I have a stack of cards,
banners, flowers. In some respects my home looks like a florist shop
but the outreach of support that people have provided I can't even begin to
describe.
People talk about family. But I've seen the ETSU family
over the past three weeks. It's a family that's strong.
It's a family that's caring. It's a family that believes in people
and it's a family that, when they put their mind to something,
can achieve the impossible. I've received everything from a game-day
basketball
to edible arrangements. Those expressions
for me are expressions of support for
the institution as a whole and I want to talk about the impact that ETSU
has had on myself. Well, I have this lovely little neck brace on
and I'm not paralyzed. I can stand; I can walk;
I do have a full range of motion. I am going to make a full recovery.
But what I've learned over the course of the past three weeks
is patience. I have got to be a little patient and you have to be a little bit
patient with me.
But I'm doing all that I can to ensure that, come January,
we return to campus and assume the pace
that has led this institution forward for the better part
of two decades under the leadership of Dr. Nicks
and Dr. Stanton. But I want to talk about the experience that I had
in the hospital. From the moment that I arrived in the hospital
I was cared for by nurses who had received their education
at ETSU. When I go in for x-rays and MRIs,
who led those activities, alumni of ETSU.
As I was laying in a hospital room, an attending physician who was on the floor
that day,
he wasn't even scheduled to see me but he saw my wife in the hallway and said, "Donna, what are
you doing here?"
From that point forward took over my care to Dr. Floresguerra
and to your residents, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the care that you
have given to me.
But at every step along my journey there have been
individuals who received their degrees or who're training at ETSU
who's made my recovery possible. You want to talk about the impact of an
institution on community,
I saw that impact of an institution on a community
first-hand and, as everyone across East Tennessee says thank you to our
graduates for the great care that they provide on a daily basis,
I want to say thank you as well. But it's more than just
in the health care fields. The day that I returned home from the hospital
I walked into the door and my son was playing piano,
taking piano lessons from Matthew Brickey, an ETSU student
who has his recital this evening. Matthew, I apologize that I'm going to miss it but
I'm with you in spirit
and thank you for what you've done to extend the joy of music
to my family and to my son. To everyone
across the campus of East Tennessee State University, enjoy the holidays,
enjoy the time with family, take time to reflect
upon all that this institution means to you, to your family, and
to the community as a whole. Godspeed to each of you.
Happy holidays and go Bucs!