Dear Melissa,

I have always made it a practice to say OUT LOUD the praises of our faculty and staff.  I will miss you.  We did not get to visit as often as I would have liked, but we always made good time of the encounters we had! :-)  I cannot thank you enough for all the assistance you gave to students (and parents)EVERY time I needed you.  I could always count on your willingness when I set up the orientation faculty panel to address the parents and their 
scared questions.  ("Will you let me know if my student is not coming
to your class?")  Your door was always open when I had a student who 
needed to talk about college adjustment, a graduating student who wanted
to talk about international opportunities with the World Bank, and so many more.

You are truly a jewel, and UTC shined brighter because of your presence.
I feel blessed for the experience of working with you.  Please keep in 
touch, even if it is your yearly email.

Thank you,
Donna



-----Original Message-----
From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Melissa Anyiwo
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 11:06 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [UTCSTAFF] So long...

Dear all,

I always thought it was rather cheesy doing this but here I am writing a note of farewell.  I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone at UTC who has been so wonderful over the last five years, offering me friendship, support, and advice yet asking for nothing in return.  Those that know me well know why I am leaving, for here I can just say that I am moving onwards and upwards.

Despite the fact that I am leaving I have enjoyed my time here, and have met some truly wonderful and inspirational people.  This was my first teaching position so I arrived somewhat naive and untested.  Thanks to people like Dean Tanner and Dean Leidtka I was able to see that being a woman, even in the South, does not stop one from playing with the big boys and that we can achieve our dreams wherever we are.  I discovered a love of committee work (strange but true) and a love of working in my community.  I discovered that teaching was more than just another job and learned to love my students - good and bad.  

Still despite all the wonderful people I have met, it was time to move on.  Like the other black faculty I started here with who have all now left (with the exception of one brave soul) I am leaving the South for the Promised Land.  So off I go following the North Star, on a rather easier path than my forebears in the hope that I will take all the things I have learned here and apply them to my new position/home.

Well I've run out clichés so I shall finish with a quote from one of my favorite Englishmen - "so long and thanks for all the fish"!

I wish you all great joy in the future.

Melissa Anyiwo

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