21 years at Virginia Tech and $1.9 million

Today marks my 21st year at Virginia Tech.  Whether it's because of my religious upbringing or just being raised not to "toot your own horn," it took me a while to really put together a list of accomplishments.  To me, that's different than a CV or a resume; those just list what you've done in your job, not what you are most proud of.  

I posted a list of things last year for my 20th anniversary, but here's probably the greatest accomplishment in 21 years:

I finally took the time to calculate how much funding I brought in while I ran our corporate partners program.  I had estimated $1.4 million, based on the number of companies and the average dues for each year.  When I finally calculated the approximate amount, it was $1.9 million.  I brought in almost 2 million dollars in about 8 years.  Keeping in mind that the top level of dues was $7500, that gives you an idea of how many companies I worked with. 

I don't write grants or get funding for research.  I certainly don't look or sound like a development person.  But I knew our students and I knew what they needed, and I listened to what companies wanted and needed.  I then found creative ways of creating events and contact points that answered the needs on both sides.

Who would have thought that an introverted musician from southwest Virginia would end up working with technology companies in the United States to bring in almost $2 million for computer science students?  

Here's last year's post about my 20 year anniversary.

The Good in 2018

For most people, any given year probably looks like a highlight reel that could be labeled with "the good, the bad and the ugly" experiences from the previous 365 days.  When I started writing this, I got a bit stuck thinking about "the bad and the ugly." After more thought, I think both of those things are pushing me towards good in 2019.  At least, this early in a new year, that's what I'm thinking.

My highlights from 2018:

Seeing Michelle (and Barack) Obama on her Becoming book tour.  I was able to take my 80 year old mother to the event in DC.  Mom has gotten more interested in politics over the last two years and we've talked about it a lot since she moved in with me.  Being able to snag the tickets and make the trip happen in a way that she could actually enjoy it was great.  I also had an opportunity to drive her around DC to see a lot of buildings and landmarks she'd never seen before, including the White House.  I won't share what she had to say about our current president.

Attending a conference where it seemed like there was one Aha! moment after another.  Anyone who has attended a conference knows that sometimes there's a lot that is interesting and helpful; other times, not so much.   Don't get me started on the folks who know how to write a stellar abstract that is nothing like their actual paper or presentation.  The one idea from that conference that has stayed in the front of my mind: "The people around you should want you to be the best version of you possible."  Regardless of whether that's friends and family or professionally, that is a great thing to keep in mind.  If you have any interest in STEM and diversity, I recommend the 2019 CoNECD conference.  

Trying Instagram and Twitter.  I decided to try to do more with Twitter and Instagram, since that's what the young'uns (our students) do.  Of course, by this point, they are on to other things and Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are for the old folks.  Well, if the shoe fits...  There are lots of things to check out on both, but the thing I've enjoyed most is finding interesting people who recommend things of interest, especially books.  My "waiting to read" stack is usually quite a tall stack of books, but it's grown even taller over the last year.  I have a love/hate relationship with choosing the next book to read because I have so many I am eager to read.

Reading nonfiction and finding some new favorite authors.  See the above point about finding great books to read.  In 2018, though, I found myself highlighting and making notes in books like I've not done since grad school.  I've read a lot of thought provoking books and articles that have helped me make sense of things I've been struggling with.

Coming around to the idea that I deserve better in so many ways.  Still working on that one.