Just keep doing your thing, he said. Say no more.

“Just keep doing your thing,” he said, “Say no more.”

– Jay-Z, from A Dream

Granted, I don’t usually start my blog posts with a verse from an epic Jay-Z song, but I figured that it was appropriate for this week. Not because it’s the last week of work. Not because I needed a little non-caffeine pick-me-up after work and Jay-Z was just what the doctor ordered. Not because I needed something to get me through the last few evaluations I have to catch up on. Not because Billy and I are having a dance party in my house right now (which makes me think that that might be the next thing on our agenda). It was because when I think of Jay-Z, I think of Amanda Norris, who is “celebrating” her last week as an Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Admission here at William & Mary on Friday.

Amanda, Me, and Tish - Karaoke Night 2011

I can’t help but look back on my freshman year and some of my first interactions with Amanda, because, after all, she was the first person that I met in the Admission Office. With all of my previous positive interactions (through my tour, my acceptance letter, e-mails, etc.) with the Admission Office, I wanted to be involved, and used our Tribe Ambassadors program to do that my first semester freshman year. Once a week, I got to the Admission Office at 9 a.m. to talk to those prospective students and families who are unlike me in my college visit process because they’re actually on time to college visits. Amanda is in charge of that group of student volunteers on campus and that’s really how I got to know her. And here it is, three years later, and the ways in which I’ve come to know Amanda have changed. I now know her much better and know so many more things about her, like these things: she’s not a hugger, she is a card-carrying member of PETA, she doesn’t have much of an athletic bone in her body, that we have similar rural backgrounds, and most of all, that Amanda could drop any Eminem, Jay-Z, Biggie, or Kanye line for you on command. She was my first introduction the the world of admissions and she’s been there for me this summer when I needed someone to back me up on where I come from.

I’m not writing this to make Amanda cry or emotional, I guess I’m just writing it in order to let people know the type of relationships that faculty members have with students and how wonderful the people that work here really are. The relationships that I’ve been able to form and cement with the Deans this summer and with the people who work in Operations have been the best part of my summer. I’m finishing the summer with so many new friends and colleagues – people who consider me to be their friend and people who see me as an equal. But here’s my confession. Maybe I lied. Maybe I’m also writing about Amanda because I’m just a little bit (or really) sad that Amanda’s leaving William & Mary on Friday to head off to a really epic overseas program with SAIS that’ll have her in Italy. Amanda has been a constant in my three years (so far) of college and it’s going to be weird to be in the office in the fall and not have her here. But before I cry, I’ll stop and just say the following – thank you for everything – for inciting a passion for William & Mary that I didn’t know was possible, for starting my involvement in admissions, and for being so stinkin’ awesome.

So, Amanda, here’s my final advice on how you can succeed in Italy – like Hov said – Just keep doing your thing. Say no more.

Xoxo.

Kylee

PS – I’ll miss you.