Coming Full Circle

This week marks the first week of my last year as a "UD" River Steward. Of course once a Stew, always a Stew, so I look forward to continuing my Stewardship for the rest of my life—in Dayton or elsewhere. 

Today, as I sat in my CEE 403 (Transportation Engineering) class, the professor asked the class “which mode of transportation was the first to be utilized”? Not including walking or riding animals, he explained that water-ways were the first mode of transportation. He explained that our Major cities are built around bodies of water (namely rivers) for that very reason. This statement triggered a flood of memories from my first orientation as a River Steward. I recalled a lecture by Dr. Pair about the formation of the Great Miami Valley Buried Aquifer, lessons about river life and general words of wisdom from Bro. Don Geiger, observing macro invertebrates, learning how to hold a kayak paddle with Amy and Eric, Leslie showing me how rivers are analogous to life, and much more.

In an unsuspecting way, things briefly came full circle for me. I was able to see how the learn, lead, serve theme has played out over the years. And now, as I embark upon my senior year, I’m excited to serve alongside the 2014 cohort. It has been a pleasant ride thus far, and I anticipate that the journey ahead will be fun, challenging, and filled with growth.

Here is to one more year!

Alexander