There has been a clock ticking away in my head for the past four years – one that has included mental alarms to many sets of firsts and lasts, checklists and detours that have occurred along the way – all leading to the ultimate goal – not simply graduation, but commencement. And it seems as if that little clock in my head is ticking more loudly these days, with Commencement weekend right around the corner, about to rear its head on the graduating class of 2012.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m beyond excited – excited to see old friends coming back to Williamsburg soon, excited to participate in all of these traditions that I’ve talked about for the past four years, and excited to have my experience at William & Mary as an undergraduate student end in such a positive way. But I can’t help but say that I’m experiencing an extreme case of jealousy. Of envy. Having my own personal battle with the green-eyed monster that was the feature of a favorite children’s book of mine growing up. It started slowly when the newest class of summer interviewers was selected. And was even intensified when I worked the day during Day For Admitted Students – seeing all of these wide-eyed and excited potential students on the very edge of the start of their journey at William & Mary. I am simply jealous. Jealous of the experiences that they will have over the next four years for those prospective students. Jealous of the summer that the newest class of interns is about to have – one filled with love, new experiences, kickball, new relationships, and the deepening of their relationship with William & Mary.

And as much as I am reluctant to admit it – even though I’m jealous, I’m beyond excited for these experiences that these people are on the verge of having. And maybe even a little sad that it’s time for all of these traditions that I’ve spent the past three years of giving tours talking about – the Commencement Walk, Candlelight, brunch at Professor Reed’s house for the Linguistics majors, Last Chance Dance – the list could continue.

Before I continue that list – I’ll stop. Because I could write of my love for William & Mary forever. And I’m excited that I’ll be continuing my blog into next year as a graduate student in the School of Education – just beginning to see how my connection to William & Mary will play out post-Commencement.

But, for now – hark upon the Gale.

xoxo.

Kylee

During my college experience, weekends have served as a time to embrace my surroundings, which could mean anything from heading to a dance party to walking down Duke of Gloucester street to perusing the goodies at the Farmer’s Market to going to grab breakfast with good friends at Five Forks (which I went to for the first time this weekend—goodness gracious it was DELICIOUS). But there are only a select few weekends that finish & as hard as you try to figure out if anything bad happened, you cannot count a single momentous bad thing (other than stubbing your toe or forgetting your credit card at the grocery store—I got over both of those quickly).  This weekend was simply one of those weekends that made me realize (for the 932nd time) how much I love this place. It was filled with the beauty of tradition, uniqueness, & pure love for a common “place of universal study”—the College of William & Mary.

Reading from the Royal Charter - Charter Day Ceremony

On Friday, I was honored to be able to participate in reading the Royal Charter during the annual Charter Day Ceremony, where William & Mary celebrated its 319th birthday. Along with eight other students and one faculty member, I read an excerpt from this historical document and became a part of a long-held tradition. Being able to read the Charter and to participate so actively in the Charter Day Ceremony was fantastic and so very special. Hearing Robert Gates speak about his time at William & Mary, watching a dear professor be recognized for her years of service to the university, and hearing Monroe Prize recipient Molly Bulman speak on civic engagement all blew me away. I left the ceremony and headed to dinner with friends, still thinking back on the four years that I’ve had here in Williamsburg at this great university.

Drew Chlan '13 & Kylee Ponder '12 - Charter Day Dinner

The next night was just as special, as I was able to attend the annual Charter Day Dinner as a student table host. During the dinner, I sat at a table speckled with people like Provost Halleran and his wife, a fellow TriDelta sister and member of the Class of 1944, and Alumni Medallion recipient Ruth Tillar. Talking to people about their individual experiences at William & Mary and others at the dinner who were not alumni made me realize this strong connection that all of us have—the power of being a member of the Tribe. After the dinner was finished, I had the chance to introduce a video shot at the beginning of the fall that is showed at Alumni events around the country, and although I think it’s the slightest bit cheesy, it was fantastic watching the faces of alumni all around the room lighting up as they became somehow once again a student here at our beloved college.

After making my infamous banana puddin’ (see blogpost here) for some of my favorite friends and watching the SuperBowl over mugs & burgers at the Green Leafe last night, I realized that this weekend may have been perfect. Seeing the faces of alumni as they remembered what it was like to be at William & Mary, hearing Bob Gates joke around about his time here in the 1960′s, and jamming out to Third Eye Blind’s encore as they performed “Semi Charmed Life” all made me thankful for the experiences that I’ve had here and even more thankful that I am blessed enough to call myself a member of the Tribe.

xoxo.

Kylee

Now that I’m back in Williamsburg (and consequently trying to find a job and not be bored), I’ve been online a lot—thumbing through pictures from my trip to Haiti two weeks ago, catching up with old friends, planning my sister’s wedding, and checking out new additions to the William & Mary website. I follow W&M News on Facebook and couldn’t have been happier to find an article announcing the Jefferson Winner for this year—Professor Ann Reed, the Director of William & Mary’s Linguistics Department (read the article here!). Being a Linguistics major, I’ve had the insane pleasure of having Professor Reed for two semesters—one while I was struggling through Generative Syntax (not my forte) and the other this past semester, learning and growing as a student in her Descriptive Linguistics class. I was so happy to have the chance to take a class like that with Professor Reed—a class of 10 or so students, meeting two times a week with a speaker of Tagalog, trying to figure out what was going on with the language. Professor Reed guided us through that process—which for some (cough cough myself cough cough) was harder than others. At the end of the semester, we celebrated with dinner at her house where we showed up early and cooked traditional Filipino food together. It was fantastic.

Hearing about Professor Reed and the Jefferson Award made me not only proud to be one of her students, but also proud to be a student at William & Mary, where professors are different and have a perfect balance between intellect and compassion for their students. I am always blown away by the types of professors that we have. In the Fall 2011 edition of the W&M Alumni magazine, I found myself grinning while reading the “Elemental Teaching” article, because two of the professors featured were my two advisors here—Dr. Anne H. Charity Hudley, my undergraduate school advisor, and Dr. Denise Johnson, my graduate school advisor. Dr. Charity Hudley has been a fantastic part of my undergraduate career and I know will continue to serve as a reference for me as life goes on, and although I haven’t had a significant opportunity (other than scheduling) to meet with Dr. Johnson yet, I am excited and hopeful about what is to come.

Whether they’re grading papers, commenting on your facebook status, inviting you to co-present with them at conferences, or encouraging your academic development and confidence, William & Mary professors are a class all of their own. They don’t only teach the subject of the class you’re taking, they get involved with your personal life. They ask questions about how your family is doing, how your sister’s organic vegetable farm is progressing, how your extra-curricular activities are going, and make sure you’re properly managing your stress. They teach, they care, they inspire. How lucky I am to have been able to study under the great minds that exist here, but even luckier to have been able to become friends with them as well.

Go Tribe,

Kylee.

I’ve been home for approximately three days after turning in the last undergraduate assignment of my life. And although that time has been spent taking care of my mom who just had knee surgery, it’s given me time to reflect on the time that I spent at William & Mary for the past three and a half years and what that time meant to me as both a student and a person.

Myself, President Reveley, and Liz at the Winter Graduates Reception - December 2011

Last weekend, the College held a “Winter Graduate Reception” to honor and recognize the students (both graduate and undergraduate) who were eligible to graduate in December rather than May. My parents, brother, sister, and near-brother-in-law came down to celebrate the event and I was excited. But somehow, it just didn’t feel like graduation – I had three final papers looming in the distance that were due on Wednesday of the following week. That may have been a primary reason that I wasn’t expecting much – but I was proven wrong. My family and I walked across the street from my off-campus house to the Sadler Center, dressed and ready to go. We walked into a room (after I checked in) that was filled with excited families, a spread of food and beverages, and a stage that held a table filled with rolled up sheets of paper. After hearing our class president, Stephanie Mcguire, speak and other people speak, our names were called by Ginger Ambler, we walked to the stage, and shook hands with President Reveley. And then it seemed as if that were it.

But it wasn’t. After we received our “diplomas,” we were instructed to find someone with special value to pin us for our induction into the Alumni Association. My roommate and one of my best friends at William & Mary, Liz, and I looked at one another and she said simply, “Want to pin each other?” As Liz said that, my mind and heart filled with beautiful memories of the four years we had spent together – the crazy dance parties freshman year, the excitement of moving into a house together sophomore year, the pangs of distance that we felt as she went abroad 2nd semester junior year, and the finality that we’ve felt all semester this year together. And, of course, I started to cry, which then made Liz start to cry. So there we were – the two of us – sobbing like small children, each only able to utter every three or four words of the Alumni pledge and pinning each other with trembling fingers.

Freshman Year - Outside of my future home, Barrett Hall - August 2008

That’s when it really hit me – I’m graduating. Right now. Right here. There’s no more waiting. The only waiting I have left to do is for my diploma to come in the mail. I’m remembering so very fondly all of the moments that have shaped my time here and there’s a mountain of memories that’s building. The time Caroline and I ran out in the middle of a rain storm and got soaking wet just dancing outside of Barrett freshman year. My very much forced first sip of coffee with Danny as we pulled a joint all-nighter during our sophomore year that included lots of donuts, caffeine, and going into hysterical and most likely delirious laughing fits. The first time I watched Moulin Rouge during freshman year in a room full of boys who all knew every single word to every single song. The overwhelming joy I felt when I found out I was headed to Haiti as co-leader of the Haiti Compact with Brian Focarino during junior year. The nervousness I felt on my first day of work in the Admissions Office this summer and the eventual comfort that I began to feel walking through the double doors every single day. My overwhelming humility when I found that I had been elected the Senior Class Homecoming Representative. And the bittersweet feeling of turning in my very last paper via BlackBoard on Wednesday.

There are some things that get old quickly – eating the same food over and over again when you’re too lazy to go grocery shopping, reading an uninteresting book, etc. And then there are some things that for me, will never get old – amongst those are the combination of cake batter ice cream and gummy bears, driving down dirt roads with country music and a Diet SunDrop in hand, but more importantly – William & Mary. Although we brag about how old we are – William & Mary will never be figuratively old to me – I don’t think that I could ever tire of walking the cobblestone streets, spending time with the people that I love more than anything in my life, and the feeling of being home. For that, I am so very grateful.

Hark upon the gale,

Kylee

Dear Kylee: 

I am pleased to officially inform you that you have been admitted to the Five Year Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Track with the School of Education at the College of William and Mary.  The Office of Academic Programs offers its best wishes for your success in the field of education. 

…(insert technical deadline information here)…

We look forward to hearing from you.  If there’s anything we can do to help you in this process, please let us know. 

Sincerely,

Thomas J. Ward, Jr., Ph.D.

Associate Dean for Academic Programs

When this email came through on my Blackberry on April 20, 2011, my face lit up, my mouth widened into a big grin, and my fingers furiously dialed the familiar seven numbers that read as “Mommah” on the screen of my phone. My voice cracking, I told my mom the news, and she was overjoyed, proud of me and excited that I would continue in her footsteps in being an elementary school teacher. I, on the other hand, suddenly realized – things just got real. And thinking in the future at that moment, I realized, on the day that I got that letter, that 2.5 years ahead in the future I would be (fingers crossed) in charge of approximately 25 small children – real children, with all of their idiosyncrasies and their overbearing parents, with all of their trips to the bathrooms and students like me in elementary school who didn’t understand the concept of silence in a classroom.

Now, it’s over four months later, and the date of the December Graduate ceremony (on the 10th of December) is creeping towards me much more quickly than I would like. There are four weeks left of classes. There was an email sent out by the Graduation Office about a “Graduation 101″ info session happening next week. I suddenly feel myself starting to refer to things as my “last time to do ___________”. I’ve been getting a little bit of a taste of the real world this semester, however, and that’s been because as a last semester student in William & Mary’s School of Education, I have to take a class entitled – Education F65: Research Methods, a graduate-level class that serves as a pre-requisite for the 5th year portion of the School of Education.

I’ve heard horror stories from students at other colleges and universities about the monotony and repetitiveness of their Research Methods class and after one class with Dr. Kyung Hi Kim, I was a little terrified and thought that those horror stories might be the truth. But I came back the next week, and I have come to find that this class opens my eyes to so many things that I’ve never heard of before. It’s given me the unique opportunity to interact with graduate students that range from people in the counseling program, to higher education, to people who are getting their Masters’ Degrees after being teachers in school systems for a long time. Dr. Kim teaches the information in a way that is both funny and interactive, and the best part of all? Because the class meets from 4:30-7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, a different person/group of people is responsible each week for dinner.

The last week in September, the only other undergraduate in the class, Allyson and I decided to bring in homemade chili, cornbread, macaroni salad, and the infamous banana puddin’ that I mentioned in this blogpost earlier this summer. It was a hit and the entire class was extremely impressed that two 21-year old undergraduate students were capable of cooking one of the best meals of the semester. Other things I’ve enjoyed eating are shrimp & chicken gumbo, bbq, lasagna, tortilla soup, and sopapilla cheesecake. And for our last class during which we take our exam, Dr. Kim herself is cooking us a Korean feast. She claims that students need nutrition in order to function well for their finals. That’s what I call a good final exam, right?

Here’s to next Tuesday, because after tonight, I can’t wait to see what meal is in store for me -

xoxo.

Kylee

Even though I’ve lived in Southern Virginia for the past 21.9 years (I’m refusing to admit that soon, I’ll be 22), I always forget that Southern Virginia has this tendency to be super hot and humid and reminiscent of summer until one day, the temperature drops approximately 30 degrees and it stays that way. There’s no “Hey, fall, what’s up?” – it simply likes to plop down here in Williamsburg when we’re not ready for it. And that is exactly what happened this weekend. My a capella group (Passing Notes) decided that for our annual fall retreat, we would go camping.

Myself, Gabrielle, & Estelle ready for 1986.

The night before, we danced with the best of them and had an 80′s themed bash with the boys of Rugby, and I received one of the biggest compliments I have ever received. While walking down Richmond Road, we ran into women who were back in Williamsburg for some sort of event, and one of them stopped me and said, “Oh my goodness – I looked EXACTLY like you in 1986!” Mission accomplished—my 80′s costume was successful, according to a woman on the street, which I accept fully as a sign of success. After partying like it was 1986, I headed to bed to prepare for the rest of the hectic weekend that I had ahead of me!

The next night, we went camping approximately 20 minutes outside of Williamsburg. When I checked the weather on Friday morning, the forecast was cloudy, but with 0% chance of rain. Let me reiterate that – 0% chance of rain. As we met up at 5:30 to leave, there were littttttle rain drops that began to fall, but nothing serious. We got to the camp ground and laid out our tents. We then found out that I was the only person who knew how to set up a tent. Albeit embarrassed that the campground’s manager helped set up the other tent while I was busy working on the first one, we got everything settled, and that was good because we literally sat in the 6-person tent and talked and rehearsed through a monsoon-like downpour. Everyone (but me, who was sleeping peacefully because I was warm and snuggly because I was prepared) made the decision to leave the next morning at 5:30 because they were freezing. I was rather proud of myself (as were my sister and her fiance—both outdoorsy people) for being the camping goddess of the weekend.

After doing a Fall Focus Day student panel, I headed to Richmond, Virginia to help my sister and her fiance move into their new home, Victory Farms, Inc. – check out their website here – it’s beautiful and wonderful and organic. Although it was freezing and we didn’t find the thermostat until Sunday when I was leaving (which meant I slept under three blankets on top of a down sleeping bag), it was so beautiful and exciting to see my sister in this new stage of her life! My family has three October birthdays and with those birthdays this year come the ages 29 (my sister), 24 (my brother), and 22 (me!). This whole growing up thing is a little scary, but the craziness of this weekend made me appreciate even more the friends and family that are surrounding me as I make this crazy journey of growing up.

I’m so excited for what fall has to bring – which this morning has included sleeping in a little, having a big cup of french-press coffee, being productive, and making use of my leopard print Snuggie (yes, I have one – don’t judge me). Fall in Williamsburg is always full of so many wonderful things—warm mugs of cider, gingerbread cookies from Raleigh Tavern Bakery that take me back to my childhood, the smell of fall with its burning leaves and wood, scarves, clogs, and all of those other wonderful things that make me excited about the month of October. So, although fall made its arrival very suddenly and without any warning, I can’t help but say I’m excited for what it has to bring.

xoxo.

Kylee

Orientation has ended and now my last official semester as an undergraduate at William & Mary is upon us and let me be the first to say that I am more than ready to hark upon the gale. But I’ll be real with you – I didn’t expect to have so much fun during orientation. Nor to be currently experiencing a severe case of separation anxiety. A few Fridays ago, on August 19th, my co-OA (Orientation Aide), Greg, and I woke up early, and made sure to be at Yates Hall by 7:00 A.M., an hour before the freshmen were allowed to move in, but only after a brief trip to Manhattan Bagel to get some sustenance that would allow us to stay strong all throughout the day. And after a honey wheat bagel, I was ready to rock and roll.

Greg & I - my wonderful Co and Me!

Although I’m not new to the orientation aide experience, I’m new to the Freshman OA experience. Last summer, I served as a PFOA, which stands for Program and Family Orientation Aide. I had two halls, but didn’t have the opportunity to spend every moment of my time with them, so I finished the summer not really knowing that much specifically about either of the halls that I PFOA-ed for. But this orientation experience was so much the opposite. So much the opposite that I’m experiencing some major separation anxiety today now that I’m not with the crazy boys of Yates 3rd North. I knew on the first day when one of their “orientation names” was Judgmental Jim that we’d be in for quite the orientation experience together. And boy was I right. For five days, I was a full-time mother to 25 different 18-year-old boys and now have a renewed sense of understanding for the boys that I was friends with my freshman year.

Two of my OA boys - Lukas & Taegan - at Convocation 2011!

Before Friday, which was one of my favorite traditions on campus (Convocation), I hadn’t seen any of my OA boys in over a week – and that was crazy! But, on Friday, we were reunited and I was able to watch them walk through the Wren Building with that same wide-eyed-curiosity and excitement that I did merely 3 years ago. Being an Orientation Aide is something that will always hold a special place in my heart and I have a feeling that my role as the OA for Yates 3rd North has only just begun – there will most likely be many trips throughout the year with them to Target, cookies brought during finals, and tearful goodbyes at the end of the year when I graduate and they begin their sophomore years (I’m assuming here that the tears will be coming from me, per usual).

It’s weird for me to not only think that these boys have only been a part of my life for three short weeks, but more importantly, that it’s almost time for me to walk the opposite way through the Wren Building – the scary way that means I’m leaving William & Mary and going on to do big things with my life. And although that involves me staying here for another year and doing the 5 Year B.A. to M.Ed. program in Elementary Education, it’ll be a different year. One filled with grad-school classes and student teaching, not with sorority chapter meetings and Wren 10′s and mug nights galore. I know without a doubt that William & Mary has prepared me to head out into the real world. But first, I think I’ll just take the rest of this year to continue my role as a student at William & Mary and as mom to those crazy boys of Yates 3rd North…

xoxo.

Kylee

Today, William & Mary’s campus exists as a literal expression of the idiom – “the calm before the storm” – all students who live on campus have now either gone back home or are taking shelter in a friend’s off-campus house or apartment, facilities management and residence life offices are checking dorms to make sure they’re empty, and faculty and staff are at home, with their families and friends, praying that Hurricane Irene doesn’t end up as bad as it looks that it will be. And I’m included in that group – sitting here in my house, in Franklin, Virginia, waiting for the storm to begin. My family and I have stocked up on water, water filters, bread, granola bars, fruit, and even broken out the lanterns that we used when I was in 3rd grade for one of my brother’s infamous Boy Scout camping trips (the only one that I ever went on).

Living in Southern Virginia for the past 21 years, I’ve experienced two major hurricanes – Hurricane Floyd and Hurricane Isabel. And if you google my hometown, you’ll easily see that many of the things that come up are related to the extensive damages that occurred as a result of both of these. During Hurricane Floyd (which was in 1999), we were all without power (and school) for 3 weeks, on the national news regularly, had to make phone calls from an at&t trailer set up in the hospital parking lot, and our Main Street (located downtown) was under 12 feet of water. During Hurricane Isabel (which was in 2003), we were without power for about a week, on the national news again, and although there wasn’t as extensive flooding, the area of my hometown known as “The Pines” didn’t have a reason to be named “The Pines” anymore – aka hundreds (if not thousands) of trees fell down, often blocking roads or damaging houses. So, when we got our e-mail from William & Mary that said we were evacuating, as I tell my OA boys – “I don’t play those games” which means I left yesterday evening at 6 pm. I quickly left Swem (where I was being a responsible student and printing out the mass amounts of reading I have for class), packed up necessities, locked up my house, and bounced.

Anyway, the moral of this story isn’t to digress about the ridiculous previous experiences I’ve had with hurricanes in my hometown, but to realize how much the community of William & Mary comes together in times like this. Within 30 minutes of the campus-wide e-mail being sent out, I had three options of places to go other than home. And those options weren’t from friends – they were all from higher-ups at William & Mary – one from my advisor (who wanted to help facilitate students in their adventures getting home), one from my wonderful boss this summer, and the final one from another Dean at the Admission Office. It’s things like that that make me remember why I came here – because it’s not just the fact that I texted all of my OA boys to make sure they were safe and had places to stay, or the fact that a good friend went to my house and put my potted plant and garden flag inside because I forgot to, or the fact that people who have PhDs and are fancy Deans of Admission offer me places to stay. It’s the fact that when the Tribe is in danger, we all pull together and make sure that we protect our own – that’s our common interest – each other.

So, stay safe this weekend, friends – and most importantly, I’ll give you the advice that my dad gives me all the time – don’t be stupid.

xoxo.

Kylee

So, there’s this thing called Orientation. And training for it started today. And Briana and I decided we’d take a little late night stroll onto the football field (with permission from appropriate people of course). So, here’s the result – all in one take – we talk about Orientation, are really excited about it, and in general, try to get you as pumped up as possible for it.

So HERE IT IS – I apologize in advance for the amount of times that I say “super excited” and that Briana says “therefore” – they’re our favorite words!

xoxo.

Kylee & Briana

“Just keep doing your thing,” he said, “Say no more.”

- Jay-Z, from A Dream

Granted, I don’t usually start my blog posts with a verse from an epic Jay-Z song, but I figured that it was appropriate for this week. Not because it’s the last week of work. Not because I needed a little non-caffeine pick-me-up after work and Jay-Z was just what the doctor ordered. Not because I needed something to get me through the last few evaluations I have to catch up on. Not because Billy and I are having a dance party in my house right now (which makes me think that that might be the next thing on our agenda). It was because when I think of Jay-Z, I think of Amanda Norris, who is “celebrating” her last week as an Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admission here at William & Mary on Friday.

Amanda, Me, and Tish - Karaoke Night 2011

I can’t help but look back on my freshman year and some of my first interactions with Amanda, because, after all, she was the first person that I met in the Admission Office. With all of my previous positive interactions (through my tour, my acceptance letter, e-mails, etc.) with the Admission Office, I wanted to be involved, and used our Tribe Ambassadors program to do that my first semester freshman year. Once a week, I got to the Admission Office at 9 a.m. to talk to those prospective students and families who are unlike me in my college visit process because they’re actually on time to college visits. Amanda is in charge of that group of student volunteers on campus and that’s really how I got to know her. And here it is, three years later, and the ways in which I’ve come to know Amanda have changed. I now know her much better and know so many more things about her, like these things: she’s not a hugger, she is a card-carrying member of PETA, she doesn’t have much of an athletic bone in her body, that we have similar rural backgrounds, and most of all, that Amanda could drop any Eminem, Jay-Z, Biggie, or Kanye line for you on command. She was my first introduction the the world of admissions and she’s been there for me this summer when I needed someone to back me up on where I come from.

I’m not writing this to make Amanda cry or emotional, I guess I’m just writing it in order to let people know the type of relationships that faculty members have with students and how wonderful the people that work here really are. The relationships that I’ve been able to form and cement with the Deans this summer and with the people who work in Operations have been the best part of my summer. I’m finishing the summer with so many new friends and colleagues – people who consider me to be their friend and people who see me as an equal. But here’s my confession. Maybe I lied. Maybe I’m also writing about Amanda because I’m just a little bit (or really) sad that Amanda’s leaving William & Mary on Friday to head off to a really epic overseas program with SAIS that’ll have her in Italy. Amanda has been a constant in my three years (so far) of college and it’s going to be weird to be in the office in the fall and not have her here. But before I cry, I’ll stop and just say the following – thank you for everything – for inciting a passion for William & Mary that I didn’t know was possible, for starting my involvement in admissions, and for being so stinkin’ awesome.

So, Amanda, here’s my final advice on how you can succeed in Italy – like Hov said – Just keep doing your thing. Say no more.

Xoxo.

Kylee

PS – I’ll miss you.