Kendra♡ ♡ ♡

When thinking about what to say to Kendra in light of her retirement we were overcome with emotions, ideas, stories, thoughts, words... so many words all of which wouldn't come close to depicting the sheer amount of gratitude we feel for simply knowing her.

We could talk about how she was the missing piece that made the difference.

We could talk about how because of her we will never work a day in our lives because we love what we do and you all know how the saying goes "when you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."

We could definitely talk about that; how on accepted students day we somehow found ourselves talking to Kendra —probably because she smiled at us and radiated a sense of comfort and safety, two feelings we were desperately yearning for and gravitated towards as brand new freshman on a foreign campus in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strangers—She introduced herself as a member of the social work department and asked us our names and if we had chosen a major yet which led into the social work vs psychology discussion. We told her our names and explained how we recently declared psychology as our major but really weren't quite sure what differentiated psychology from social work. Kendra went on to explain how the professions were inherently similar, and that social workers and psychologists shared a similar goal — helping people achieve healthier and more productive lives. She exclaimed that while both professions worked with mental health, social workers worked to improve individuals' mental well-being and increase their level of functioning via a more in the field "hands on approach" while psychologists worked more closely on understanding the brain, neurotransmitters, and the reason behind why individuals suffered from mental illness via a more research approach.

We could fully talk about how that conversation changed the trajectory of our college career and ultimately, our lives.

We could talk about how we had no idea how important and meaningful that conversation would come to be. And how unbeknownst to us, our first conversation with Kendra set us on the path we were meant to be on and would allow us to bloom and grow in ways we couldn't have even begun to fathom at the time.

In hoping to depict the ever-lasting impact she's had on us and the incredible difference she's made in our lives, it definitely seems vital to include that story and talk about it.

Or we could talk about how she is quite literally

sunshine in human form.

It is often said that the best kind of people are like sunshine— they are warm and brighten your soul with their light. They love unconditionally. They are soft and gentle with your heart and soul. They make you smile with just their presence. They know when something is not right without you having to say anything at all. They are accountable and take responsibility for their actions. They respect other humans. They are kind. They let you be yourself and accept you as you are. They forgive others instead of seek revenge. They are patient with your struggles. They are there for you no matter the situation. They make you feel safe, loved and understood.

We could give thousands of examples all depicting ways in which Kendra embodies sunshine in human form, but we might be here for a while.

We could take it a step further even and talk about how lucky we are to have been able to call our professor & academic advisor our safe person.

Morgan Richard Olivier, a favorite poet/ writer of ours wrote a poem entitled; "Be a safe person"

It goes like this:

"Be a safe person.

Be someone who can be trusted to receive another person's vulnerabilities, struggles, and fears, all while offering them wisdom, protection, and confidentiality in return.

Be someone whose energy and presence bring serenity and joy into a room, making those around them feel secure.

Be a person whose words speak life and whose embrace can make even a stranger feel seen, heard, and loved."

If you have the privilege of knowing Kendra, you'll know what Morgan Richard Olivier is really saying is be someone like Kendra.

Kendra is synonymous to a safe person.

So naturally we could absolutely talk about Kendra and all the ways she was and is a safe person.

But the truth is; it doesn't matter what we talk about and choose to share, because no words can come even remotely close to depicting just how beautiful of a human being Kendra is and how immense of an impact she has had on us and our lives.

Kendra is pure light and love.

She's comfort on the hard days and reassurance when you need it most.

She's safe and warm.

She's calm and honest.

She's laughter and joy and excitement.

She's the person you can't wait to tell that you succeeded at something. That something being the thing she told you she knew you'd succeed at a thousand times.

She's also the person you go to when you fail, when you fall. When you feel lost and scared and your self-confidence and sense of direction are completely MIA.

She's what makes you feel better.

She's medicine.

She believes in you even when you don't believe in yourself.

She has this amazing ability to take any sense of doubt you're feeling and make it disappear.

She has a fire in her heart, a smile that forgives, and a happiness that does not require the sun to be shining.

Anyone who knows her will tell you, you simply cannot help but to feel whole around her.

Those who are lost find their missing pieces in her presence and in the middle of chaos,

her presence calms even the most tormented soul.

Kendra is the type of person who makes you better because she believes in you before you do.

She is a constant source of encouragement and wisdom to those around her, and we have benefitted so frequently and so deeply from her dedication to service and love.

She is one who wraps her arms around the soul of the world, of all who love her and those who need love.

She's magic.

She does to the world what sunlight does to dust particles;

She takes ordinary things/situations/moments & makes them

m a g i c a l

and that is precisely what she did to our undergrad college experience.

She made it magical.

Kendra we don't think you understand how beautiful you make the world, just by existing in it.

May you never forget the difference you've made and the impact you've had on us.

May you never underestimate how wonderful you made our time at PC just by being a part of it.

Clearly, we could say a lot of things but there's one phrase that we absolutely must say and that is, thank you.

From the very bottom of our hearts, thank you so much.

Thank you for being there- no matter what.

Thank you for being there through the mess, the magic, the mundane and all the moments in between.

Thank you for being there through every panic attack and thank you for handling our "I can't do this, I'm dropping out" moments with such grace.

Thank you for always knowing what to say and how to say it.

Thank you for encouraging us to follow our dreams and for cheering from the side, always.

Thank you for taking on a role you didn't have to take on.

Thank you for seeing us, hearing us, listening to us, teaching us, helping us, guiding us, and loving us.

Thank you for being our safe person.

Thank you for being sunshine in human form.

Thank you for being the light when it got dark and scary.

Thank you for being our voice of reason, our reassurance, and believing in us when we were struggling to believe in ourselves.

Thank you for being you.

May you never forget how loved, appreciated, admired, respected, and cherished you are.

May you never underestimate the difference you've made and the lives you've touched.

And may you forever be proud of the work you've done, the human you are, and the impact you've had. We love you!

With so much love,

Erin and Erika Ross, "The Twins!"

♡ ♡ ♡

(class of 2019)