Note: This message was originally sent on November 17, 2023
This is long overdue. I’ve missed sending out our ZaGratitude messages and I have heard from many of you who have expressed the same. So I am back at it AND we have many incredible stories to share.
On this eve of thanksgiving week, I am humbled to share this brief reflection with each of you. Below is a message our team received today from a GU student who asked that we share this with the family that is helping support the student with a scholarship. There is an incredible, albeit heartbreaking, backstory that I wish I could share with each of you, but it is not my place to do so…..however what I can share is that this student is at GU because of the incredible generosity of our benefactors, because of our staff who dedicate all that they do to help our students be successful and because of our faculty who share their wisdom and talents and bring the world into the minds and hearts of our students. Enjoy…..
My Gonzaga experience is nothing like I expected. I went in accepting my place here thinking that it would be all about academics. Fortunately, now that I live and go to school here, I have discovered a community like no other. While there have been some ups and downs, I have met some people who have made me feel valued and looked out for. The community is so kind that I feel like I can walk up to anyone on campus and ask for help if I need it. I always feel so cared for by professors and other Gonzaga staff. I go to class everyday knowing I am going to learn something I never even thought of. I feel that I can even enjoy the little things here on campus as well. Walking along bulldog alley and seeing the beautiful trees change colors, the squirrels running across branches, and even hearing the chatter of students as they talk to one another. I truly feel at peace here at GU. Even with all of the circumstances regarding my family, I have something to look forward to everyday here at Gonzaga, and that’s interacting with people. I am so incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to attend this wonderful university and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.