the other side of the table

06/09/08

after getting an email from ms shana lucas, i volunteered to do a little bit of p.a. service and help with interviews for next year's ally class. i rode on over to the uwm student union, thinking back to my first interview.

i came in, wearing the very polka-dot dress i still wear pretty frequently. in fact, the interview outfit i'm wearing now is almost identical to the one i wore sitting on the other side of the table from kate flynn and 2 allies from the class. i wasn't nervous, per say, just uncertian. i read about all the things public allies was supposed to be and what the commitments were, and it reminded me a lot of the high school i attended back in racine. community involvement, hard work, and leadership. i thought to myself i can do this.

sitting on the other side of the table today was just as strange for me. how was i going to know who would make a good fit? what if my first impression of the person wasn't a good one? what if i made a mistake? was i qualified to make this kind of decision? i sucked down some coffee, and looked across the table into the eyes of people who really seemed like they were ready to make a difference. i know that look, and so i knew what to look for.

i guess it's true that everything really does come fulll circle. i hate that phrase, but it really came into perspective for me there at those interviews. because i haven't quite "made it" yet, i've never had the opportunity to really contribute to the process of something that i felt was worthwhile. in doing this part of the program, i felt like i had a part in creating the sustaining legacy for next year's class, and quite possibly classes of the future.