Three months ago, I was hired as the Executive Assistant and Program Coordinator for the Templeton Honors College. While my professional relationship with the college is in its infancy, nine years ago I was a freshman in Templeton, living in a dorm room, writing papers, and having the first of many rich conversations with peers.
My nearly decade-long relationship with the Templeton Honors College has helped me in my new role. By virtue of being an alumna, I have already been immersed in the college. I have firsthand experience of the magic that is the annual Camping Trip ™, and thus I can (try to) ease the fears of nervous students. I know that the new cohort matriculates on the first Friday of the semester, that we have our Lessons & Carols service in early December, and that the freshmen and seniors are given banquets in the spring. The Templeton year is cyclical, and I know its rhythms well. Yet, just this past August, I found myself acutely aware of all that I did not know.
My first task in this position was to make the Camping Trip happen. Of course, I had only ever gone as a Freshman, which was nine years ago! To the cohort of 2025, I’m sure I appeared to be wise to the ins and outs of this trip. But for that week in August, I was just as reliant on the student staff, faculty, and alumni as our newest students. Sure, I walked around with all the trappings of authority, holding my pink binder while making announcements about dinner and clean-up. Several times a day though, I would whisper my questions to the upperclassmen: “Where do we refill the water jugs? How do I get back to my campsite?”
It was humbling and a true gift to lean on and work with this group of people. Answering my questions helped keep this beloved tradition intact. Even if I know everything about Forked Lake, though, that’s not what makes the Camping Trip or any of our Templeton traditions special. It’s the fact that it is sustained by a strong sense community. It's what makes students want to sacrifice their last week of summer to return as staff.
If you are tuned into what is going on at Templeton lately, you'll know that we are actively and intentionally celebrating the 25th anniversary of this community. The 25th year is a milestone worth celebrating. A quarter of a century. A “look how far we’ve come” moment. At the same time, though, I wonder how it has only been twenty-five years. When you enter into a tradition, it’s easy to assume that it has been around forever. But as I have been participating in the 25th anniversary, I am constantly reminded of the date of Templeton’s origin. Born in 1998, I am barely older than the Templeton Honors College. It’s not the age that we’re really celebrating though, is it? Rather, we are honoring the communal work that has kept it alive, and breathing, and flourishing for 25 whole years. Communal work that miraculously gets 50 people to the Adirondacks and back safely every year. Communal work that I am extra grateful for as I move through this time of reentry to the Honors College.