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| Aaron Vance Class of 2017 |
What a year 2017 has already shaped up to be for not only me, but the University of Louisville. Two months in I have now been placed on my third Board of Trustees. I have installed our second interim President of this institution in the last 6 months. And, on that note, I have had to say farewell to someone whose mentorship and guidance will always stick with me. I have watched bills pass and followed them along the process in the desire to stop them or advance them as I think the student body would want me to. I have watched the University keep its promise to its students, and I have seen us actively engage and exhibit our values. I have seen turmoil, division, change, growth, and unity – sometimes all in the same day.
At the time of writing this blog I have about 74 more days left in my term as the Student Body President. That end is the same end to my time as a UofL Cardinal. It’s crazy to think that this year and these last four are now drawing to end. I write this as not something just for my successor but as a reflection of what I have learned in this position. There are some key things to this job, and to doing it well. Don’t worry about being divisive, do what is right. Hold to the principles and the process will follow. It’s not all about empathy, it’s about understanding. And, most importantly of all, even in a packed room, the student voice can be the loudest.
There is a bit of a learning curve, and there is a high cost to enter the game, but the return is so worthwhile. The long days, the late nights, it has all been worth it. In only a few other instances have I felt the satisfaction and accomplishment I have when I feel like I have served my fellow students well. More often than not I can say that I have felt that, a testament to the dedication I have strived to commit to this role. For me, it would be shameful to not utilize the opportunities I have been given in this position of power and of privilege to do the best job possible. I am proud of the work we have done, everyone, all the members of this team that have put a years worth of work in to advancing the student experience at the University of Louisville. Nearing the end I feel neither remorse nor regret, only appreciation and completion. And while I wish my successor the best and hope they recognize some of the things I have said, I most certainly hope to wish them this same feeling when they too are nearing the 291-day mark.
This blog is a little unconventional since it is my last. As compared to previous blogs where I have sought to offer commentary on a piece I was reading at the time or one we had discussed in a seminar, this one will be a little different. Consider this my swan (cardinal) song of sorts as I write a short tribute in thanks to my time at the McConnell Center and the University of Louisville. With that I am thankful for all of the opportunities I have had in the McConnell Center, all of the friends and mentors met along the way, the lessons learned, and the experiences had. But most of all, I am thankful for the direction, the focus, and the forthcoming challenges that the McConnell Center and the University of Louisville have prepared me for.
Aaron Vance, of Vine Grove, Ky., is a senior McConnell Scholar studying political science and anthropology.