Ducks @ Oregon - University of Oregon

Some Exciting News

Katie D.

August 28, 2009 - 5:00 PM

Hello, friends and loyal readers! I have some pretty awesome news for anyone who's been following my blogs. The Annual Giving Program (the group I work for, who are in charge of fundraising for the University of Oregon) has multiple fundraising projects aside from publishing the blogs of Yours Truly. They also have a donations call center, a website, and a monthly mailing list of alumni and donors. In all of this, they try to highlight the special aspects of the University of Oregon and what gifts to the University mean to the college and the community. They focus on services available to students, quality of scholarship, faculty publications, and the general impact the UO has on our local and global community. They tend to pick a particular person's "Duck Story" to illustrate how the UO excels in a certain area.

So here's the news: I was selected for the Annual Giving Program's September publicity campaign. They think that my time as a student is a good example of the student body's commitment to service, outreach, and international concern. In September, a postcard with my picture on it will be sent to thousands of UO alumni and donors. An article written about me will be posted on the Annual Giving Program page. And, eventually, there will be a short web video with an interview available so that people can hear me tell the story of my time studying at the UO.

I'm writing about this for several reasons. First, I want to thank the Annual Giving Program for honoring me this way. Second, I want to celebrate this with all of you who read my blog. Third, I am writing to let you know that I will be blogging more about topics that a wider audience might be interested in for the next month or so. As faithful Katie D. readers, you might be interested in the big stories of my life this week (they would have been "redecorating the living room" and "driving another group of international students to the airport"), but instead I'm going to focus on some of my stories that the Annual Giving Program highlighted in the article and the interview: stories about volunteering, internships, travel, and how I have taken my four years of college education beyond the classroom and into the larger world.

Honestly, the timing is great for this. My summer is winding down in many ways, and these next three weeks will mostly be focused on gearing up for a final year. These blogs will give me a chance to think through the most important thing I have to worry about right now: what is the best of my college experience, and what will I do with my final year?

As a senior, I'm looking at a whole year of "lasts." This will (most likely) be my last autumn in Eugene. The last chance to be with all my college friends together. The last chance to be with the faculty I've come to know so well, the last chance to take advantage of all the services and organizations I've just barely had a chance to explore. The last spring break. The problem with senior year will certainly not be boredom: it will be choosing between hundreds of worthy and exciting ways to spend my time.

I'm hoping that writing these blogs will remind me of the best bits of my first three years at the University of Oregon, and help me figure out what to do with this year of "lasts." That way, I can start my senior year with the knowledge that I'll be ready: that this year will be the very best of these amazing four years.