Thanks for letting me know you….

You know… it’s crazy. Really it is. I don’t know you all. We may have had a brief conversation over a table covered with William and Mary paraphernalia in a high school gym. Maybe we exchanged emails or a phone call. Maybe you sat in a room with other students and listened attentively while I spoke of the history of the college, made jokes about TJ (Thomas Jefferson), and assured you that I’d be here if you had any questions or concerns. You were a comment, a quick conversation, a handshake, a memory…and then I read your stories.

I’ve gotten attached to these names on files, and you’ve become more than that. I know why you feel you are unique and why I think you are really different. I know your back stories. I know about your mission trips and relationships and sports injuries. I’ve been introduced to your mothers, your fathers, grandfathers, host parents, and pets.

I know that you love Twilight, Harry Potter, Jane Austen, the new (to me) 90210, Gossip Girl, Grey’s Anatomy, Field Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse, Swimming, Archeology, politics, your stuffed animal, and hunting.

I know that you love your big city, with all of its big buildings and coffee houses. You also love your small towns, cow tipping, mudding, country music and hip hop. You want to make a difference. You want to do something different, or maybe finally follow their lead.

You come to us from across the ocean and across the river. And now…I know you. I know that you want to make a change. You want to change the world. And you want to change your family’s situation. And you, you just want to change your story.

We make difficult decisions here. And we’re smart enough to know that none of this is about us. We want to make good decisions for you. We are sequestered in this building, building your class; selecting your roommates and teammates, new best friends and potential crushes. We don’t always know what the end result will be but we’re working on it. Trust us, because we know you now.

– Tish Lyte