The University values an educational environment that provides all members of the campus community with opportunities to grow and develop intellectually, personally, culturally and socially. In order to give us a more complete picture of you as an individual, please tell us about the particular life experiences, perspectives, talents, commitments and/or interests you will bring to our campus. In other words, how will your presence enrich our community?
My arm was trembling, but I strutted proudly through the swinging doors.
“You got it, bud!” my manager shouted.
Yeah, I got this. No biggie. I set the tray down on an unstable cart…SMASH. A tray of wine glasses shattered across the floor. Not one survived.

Only a minute earlier, my manager encouraged me to take the challenge: “Which tray do you think is heavier?”
I shrugged my shoulders. Pleaaaase be kidding. I just stared. He motioned towards a huge tray filled with wine glasses. I pictured myself dumping it all over the bride’s stunning gown.
“Hold it high, above the shoulder. There ya go, bud! Now go. Take it back. Go!”
I didn’t dwell on this incident. I found a dustpan. I swept up the glass. I mopped the floor clean. It took strength to walk away from that full dustpan, but I did. I scooped up another tray of glasses knowing the possibility of it slipping from my tight grasp again. Cautiousness flooded my mind, but so did confidence. I make mistakes. Sometimes big, sometime small. Either way it’s nothing that can’t be swept up. It all collects in the dust pan of my past, there to remind me to learn from my mistakes.