School can be hard for all of us, including faculty, staff, and students. Unfortunately, we tend to take things out on each other. We get frustrated, gossip, and always say that we need better than what we have.

Truth is, we're all trying to do our best. Sometimes we as students tend to blame teachers and our other faculty and staff. I admit that I’ve been in that place where I have complained, or talked about a teacher. Not everyone is perfect, neither students nor faculty/staff and this article is actually to recognize the underappreciated, specifically one of my favorite security guards. I'm here to thank her for everything she does and the rest of the staff do for us.

This security guard is a beautiful soul. Strong, tall dark woman with the stature of an eagle. She's gentle like a willow tree, yet stands her ground. Everyone knows her; she is easy to talk to and is of respectable character. When I see her, I greet her with a smile. She greets me with "Hey love," followed by her bright iridescent smile. My spirits raise, no matter what kind of day I'm having. Her ebony braids are mostly pulled back, and she is always her uniform.

Two years ago, I lost my roommate and friend. I only knew her for a semester and a half, and she was my roommate for only a month. Despite only knowing her for a short time, I took the news hard. That's when I started to get to know this security guard-- because she knew my friend. When she saw me, she made sure I was doing okay. From there on out, I was grateful when I saw her.

Many of the people here are encouraging. When I feel like all hope is lost, they've been there to remind me how far I've gotten. This person has been one of those people. She’s very friendly; when she walks into the room someone always calls to her, even if it's just me. She's a social butterfly who is wonderful to talk to. Those who haven't talked to her are missing out.

She does a lot, along with the other security guards, staff, and faculty. I write this because I appreciate every single one of them. They are just like us. They have personalities, families, idiosyncrasies, troubles, work, and are here to help us.

We need to work together. Otherwise, the years here will be miserable.

To the woman who has helped make college a bit easier,

Thank you.