When I joined my orientation team, I could only think of one thing. You are doing this for the students. This is all for them. Of course, this is true, and every day I try my best to be a positive example and an influence on all of the new students I have the opportunity to meet. However, I never once could have imagined that my orientation team could impact my life in the best way possible.
They taught me how to love.
I never once thought I could love any more than I already do. I love meeting new people and trying new things, but my orientation team opened my mind to a whole new meaning of love. They taught me that unconditional love exists, and it is possible. Everyone on my team is so different, but we love each other nonetheless.
They taught me how to break out of my shell.
Sometimes (or most of the time) I can be an awkward ball of energy that doesn't know how exactly to release that energy. I spend a lot of the time observing in the background of things, and I am not always happy being in the background of things. My orientation team taught me how to be confident in myself, and taught me how to be comfortable while breaking out of my shell.
They always have my back.
I can be annoying, stubborn, lazy, and sometimes selfish. My orientation team loves me despite of this, and no matter what, they have shown me that they have my back through it all. We all do, and that is what is so special about being on a team. Loving one another and being there makes a big difference, and helps our team grow more every day.
They know how to make me laugh.
Every person on my team never fails to make me smile, and they are never boring to be around. I learn new things about each and every one of them every day, and I love that. I love being able to have any bad mood erased and be able to just sit and enjoy myself in a room full of people who all mean the world to me.
They taught me how to love myself.
Although I struggle with confidence, and have my whole life, my orientation team knows me so well, and they use that knowledge to help me grow and change into the best person I can be. They teach me every day that I am worth something, that I am special, and that I deserve to be on our team. I don't know what I would do without them.
To my orientation team, I love you guys. More than you can imagine. I can't wait to experience more memories with all of you.
