Congrats Class of 2008

As my second academic year comes to a close at Covenant, I can't help but reflect back. It's been a really good 2 years, that has gone very quickly. I remember moving from Charlottesville from a great townhouse with awesome friends and leaving a community that I felt so a part of. I jumped right into Orientation Team training and felt very welcomed by the students and staff.
This past Friday, I got to pray for the Seniors at their banquet. I was given a chance to thank many of the Seniors for letting me be a part of their lives, through working with them on Senate, Orientation, playing intramural sports with them and also serving on two great mission trips.
I feel like every year it gets harder and harder to say "goodbye" to the graduating class. Last year was such a whirlwind year and really a short 9 months(sometimes it wasn't short at all) before I saw the Class of 2007 walk across the stage as they received their diplomas. I have gotten 2 great years with this years class and honestly I felt like a proud father or maybe more like a proud older brother seeing his little brother/sister graduate. I have had so many great experiences with a lot of these guys that its hard not to feel attached to them in some sense.
Isn't it kind of odd that a college administrator is really close with students? Isn't it suppose to be the opposite? Aren't administrators suppose to be "Debbie downers" or the people that "bust the party"? Thankfully for me, my job doesn't require me to be a disciplinarian, most of the time anyways. Has it been a cakewalk these past 2 years? No, definitely not. I have definitely had moments where I have felt like a disappointed father, a grieving friend, and frustrated beyond all comprehension. But all in all I don't think I am thankful enough for my job. There are definitely moments when I think to myself "wow, I'm getting paid for this".
So with all of that being said, Class of 2008 you have been great and I will miss you. God bless you and good luck with what God has in store for you.