Appreciation

I've been looking at photos from the past four years and I'm finding that I have done a lot since I've left my home. I've been to four different countries: Mexico, Japan, Spain and Germany; made many amazing multi-talented friends: Monica, Lisa, Robi, Erika, Shalini, Male, Shin, Chester, Koichi, Silvia, Kanika, Diana, Ceci, Jess, Ann, Cassie, Ellie, Allie, Uyennie, Kwan, Pili, Ryo, Phat, YukoS., Koji, Moana, Shikha, Nathan, Emily, WuLa, Vicki, Derek, Tinki, Utsumi, Lisa, Julie, Jeff, Amy, Emily, Michael, Lili, Anna, Gigi, Okachi, Haruka, Kajal, Koichi Y, Isamu, Vincent, Edinam. I've seen the sunrise while writing a paper and seen it with friends all in the comfort of a living room couch. I can slap people's hands silly in games of cards and I can write a 50-page Capstone senior thesis. I've driven the Pacific Coast Highway and I've driven through the shantytowns of Tijuana. I've found out that I can do a lot more than I thought I could, but that I have limits to even those "lot mores" that I want to break through.

Looking at all this, I have a deep sense of appreciation to my friends, my parents, and those who supported SUA in whatever way they could--professors as life-long teachers, staff as support in what we do, administration--to make sure that there's staff there to have the university function, donors as life-long founders of the university. I bow in deep, reverent respect to those people who've affected my life.