Thoughts from Places: Maryville again

Hey everyone. Before we jump into today's entry, I just re-read yesterday's entry and wow. If you couldn't tell, I had passed out on the hotel bed, woken up, and realized "oh yeah, I need to blog still". Clearly, I didn't wake up that much. Anyway, let's jump in with things.

I follow a number of vloggers on YouTube and one type of video that I enjoy is "Thoughts from Places". Usually, these are compilation of short video clips throughout a day with a general narration that either talks about individual events or links things together. I realized halfway through yesterday, that I really should have been taking video throughout the weekend, because it was the perfect opportunity for Thoughts from Places. Even though I didn't take video clips, I wanted to write down my thoughts, so here goes.

Thoughts from Places: Maryville again

This weekend, I found myself in a small town called Maryville, Missouri. As many of you know, I moved there after college to work at the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Computing for five years. The Missouri Academy was having a reunion to celebrate 15 years of excellence and to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure if I should attend. I had been unsure about graduate school and work, but then I heard a voice inside me say "Matt, just go". So I did.

I know this might be weird, but the drive to Maryville was the first source of nostalgia. I've made the drive between Maryville and Minnesota many times, so stretches of the interstate had a familiarity to them. I even made sure to drive down the same back roads between I-35 and Maryville, despite the pleas of my GPS.

The drive into town from the east felt surreal. This was the first time I was back in Maryville since I moved over a year ago, yet it felt both an entire decade and just a week had passed. Before this weekend, I could have pieced together the town, but actually being there brought back a rush of memories. Of course, there were some changes, including a new archway welcoming all to campus along with new bearcat paw prints embedded in the street leading to the football stadium.

I arrived at the cookout and was immediately greeted by old colleagues and students. Many people were shocked that I had made the long drive, but the shock was followed by a smile and a handshake or hug. I was able to grab some cookout food before it was put away and caught up with my old supervisor and fellow staff members. It was there I learned that one of my previous students had just joined the staff, and I was very happy for him.

After the cookout subsided, many of the current and previous staff members gathered in the office to share stories. As a staff member, I encountered some level of transition as new colleagues learned the ropes of their positions, and it was clear that this was true last year as well. However, I could tell that the current staff members had grown a lot over the course of a year and were better prepared to face future challenges.

I spent the next morning working on graduate school, so I was unable to attend the brunch where some previous students and staff reminisced on their experiences. When I got to campus, several alumni were playing outdoor games with current students. The activities themselves were simplistic, but having alumni jump in to participate showed how the Missouri Academy can build community across years. After that, many of us played cards, which included an argument about a radioactive potato.

In Missouri Academy fashion, the Saturday night event was a banquet in the student union, where the potatoes were non-radioactive. Several individuals made speeches, including the first dean who shared his experience with creating the program. It was quickly apparent how much care was put into turning the idea of an early-entrance-to-college program into a reality.

The banquet was followed by what I would call a tree ceremony. The campus is designated as the Missouri Arboretum, and to celebrate the Missouri Academy's 15 year anniversary, a commemorative tree had been planted outside of the hall. The tree ceremony included representatives from the first graduating class spreading mulch and representatives from the newest class watering the tree. Previous and current staff members also received ribbons which they handed to students to tie onto the tree. It may seem a little corny, but I like the analogy of the tree being tended by the oldest students, youngest students, and everyone in between.

The evening wrapped up with desserts in the nearby garden area and then drinks at a nearby pub. Both of these events were filled with sharing stories and getting caught up on others' lives. It was a little weird having a drink alongside previous students, but at the same time, it was a reminder about the passage of time and how students continue to grow up and change following graduation.

I checked out of my hotel room this morning and returned to the Missouri Academy for one last event - an open forum about the program's past, present, and future. As a staff member, I had seen much of the data numerous times, but many alumni were surprised to see the rising cost of attendance over the years. The tone of the room quickly turned into a call to action for the alumni to give back to current students. For many, the reunion weekend reminded alumni about how the Missouri Academy helped them grow and be where they are today. Unfortunately, it's hard to put it into words but there was an excitement in the air.

The official open forum ended, but many alumni stayed behind to continue plotting out the groundwork for a new alumni association. An alumni association had been made in the past and fizzled out, and this was used as a discussion point on how to maintain focus and consistency when life gets in the way. Even though I wasn't a Missouri Academy student, I still joined in the conversation and I plan to be a part of this association as well.

My main takeaway over the entire weekend was the desire to do more. I think the reunion itself was very well-planned, but I wanted to have more time in Maryville, visit more places on campus and in town, and see more previous students. Similar to the stories of many alumni, I didn't think about the Missouri Academy over the year here at St. Norbert, but now that I was able to return to campus after a year away, I want to do more and give back to the Missouri Academy.



I know I'm not that experienced with the "Thoughts from Places" format, but I wanted to write down my thoughts before the workweek started here. My writing style seems a little emotionally detached, but I had such a fun time seeing people again. Like I mentioned in the last paragraph, I really wish I could have seen more students, but I know so many students are busy with jobs, various schooling, families, etc. I just hope this alumni association can take the momentum of today and run with it, because there's the potential to do some pretty awesome things.

Alright, it is way past my bedtime so hopefully I can be up on time tomorrow. Speaking of tomorrow, it will be Assistance Dog Day, National Psychic Day, and Watermelon Day.

DFTBA