Endings.

It seems as if there are alot of endings right now. The end of a semester, graduation, possible change of job, and now--the stepping down of a beloved associate Dean.

I love changes. I love to mix things up. But that doesn't mean that I don't acknowledge endings. This associate dean of our college, Jack, is one of a kind. Nice guy. A little odd. Sooooo enthusiastic! Pie-in-the-sky kind of hopes. But how he has changed our college! His dreams are always 100% higher than anyone elses--impossible, it seems. But he reaches them! His enthusiasm is infectious. He makes believers out of us all. He began a program that everyone thought would fail. But it didn't. It grew in leaps and bounds.

Jack announced today, that he was stepping down. I'm heartbroken. He was a great leader but I don't think he felt that way. He came across to me, to others on our team, and to families, as a 'great guy', a real dad-like figure. He took a department in which NO ONE wanted to work, and made it a place that people apply in droves to get a job.

Previous blogs have mentioned how much I love the work I do. I'm sure I will come to enjoy working with the next associate dean. But s/he won't be Jack.