Texas Treats

Tuesday was my boss, Kelly’s, last day in the Office of Admissions. Sadly, she resigned a few weeks ago and is moving to Austin, Texas next week to pursue new opportunities. Her departure makes me very sad, as I will miss her dearly as both a friend and supervisor. She is the best boss I have ever had, and has provided me with a tremendous amount of autonomy, support, and opportunities for professional growth.

My roommate Karen and I invited Kelly over to our house on Tuesday night for a going away dinner. It was a beautiful evening, and we dined on our backyard patio and enjoyed a Texas barbeque feast of grilled chicken breasts, corn, green beans, grilled potatoes and onions, mango/peach sangria, and my special little creation—Texas shaped sugar cookies, in both red and blue. Blue to represent Austin, a liberal oasis, within a much larger conservative vacuum. Hilarious, right? Because I am obviously a huge nerd. But I thought Kelly might find these cookies entertaining. And that she did.

It was the perfect way to say goodbye, but I won’t lie—after we all hugged, and Karen and I watched her walk away, I started crying. My biggest ally and supporter, for the first two years of my professional career, gone for good. And who knows if our paths will cross again. But, at the same time, I’m so happy and excited for her to begin a new adventure in Austin. Best of luck, Kelly. I will never forget you, and hope that I can be the kind of manager to others as you always were for me.