2018 End-of-Year Reflection

Friends,

2018. It's only two weeks behind us, and yet it feels long departed.

Much of the past year feels shaped by my classes. I took Composition & Choreography and Dance for Musical Theatre in the spring, followed by Stagecraft and Playwriting in the fall. I played Grace (the secretary to Oliver Warbucks) in the Brookings Community Theatre production of Annie over the summer, and assistant-directed Radium Girls in the fall. I completed the second half of the screenplay I wrote in Fall 2017. In painting, I finished my first two commissions and showed pieces in a variety of exhibits in the region. I also had the opportunity to perform again in the Christmas dance/choral celebration.

I did some part-time work at a golf course over the summer, which was a great opportunity to do hands-on work in a non-supervisory role, though I still have never played a round of golf. I'm in my 4th year as a Residence Hall Director at SDSU, and I feel like a senior in this second go-around at college. I still love my job and have learned how to be efficient enough to make all my other pursuits fit. With an RHD vacancy, I've taken on Honors Hall again, in addition to Caldwell and Schultz, and I now help support 22 staff members, a Graduate Assistant, and over 500 students. I give a number of guest lectures across campus but have stepped back from the LeadState program this year. It's a constant juggling act, but it's quite the pleasant circus. The Mary Poppins in me is a keen observer of the changing winds, however, and I anticipate that the door may open to new adventures in the year now before us.

My family experienced a number of milestones this past year. My youngest sister, Becky, completed high school and is now in an independent living skills day program, commuting with our Mom. Anne moved to Sioux Falls and turned 21. Jim recovered from a handgun accident and has moved to Florida to pursue his career in fine food service and be nearer to our maternal family. Beth got engaged to Alex Kenkel and is planning an October 2019 wedding. Michael was graduated from USD, studied abroad in New Zealand shortly after his commencement ceremony, spent some time in Salem/Sioux Falls working, and moved to Afghanistan as a civilian security contractor in October. Bryce switched companies in his work; he and Ronda are looking at a possible new home in the country. Caleb transitioned from Catholic elementary school to public middle school, and Isaac, Micah, and Asher keep getting older, smarter, and more entertaining. Mom and Dad both recovered well from emergency surgeries during the year and find ways to enjoy their individual almost-empty nests. Mom continues to be an R.N. at the VA Hospital traveled overseas with her first medical mission, and Dad retired from Sanford Hospital and is keeping busy with projects around the house.

A year ago, I was caught between pulling forces of malaise and creative urging, ready for grad school but not quite, and unsure of the direction of my creative pursuits. I kept on keeping on, to fruitful results, and 2019 holds much promise. Two of my plays (a 10-minute and full-length) were chosen for staged readings at college festivals: one in Sioux Falls, which I'll be able to attend as the playwright, and one here at SDSU.  I submitted a graduate school application to an interdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts Program just over a week ago (which trumped timely completion of this update). I'm enrolled in two classes--Foundations of Animation and Intermediate Acting--this spring. The students are back, campus is abuzz, and the semester is off to the races with a palpable energy.

Themes of parenthood and family have played heavily in my creative work throughout the past year. In last year's update, I shared my pursuit of surrogacy, and as I predicted, that exploration has been an integral part of 2018. The journey continues, and it's an exciting one of heart, mind, and body. I'm so grateful for those with me on the path, and I look forward to seeing where 2019 brings us, together.

With the advent of 2019, I turned 35, which feels momentous somehow. I can no longer pretend that I'm a young adult, and any void left by my erstwhile youth is more than filled with the memories of those years. Being 20 meant longing and hoping for the experiences that 35 has already known. What joy, indeed, to have known them!

Perhaps one of the most interesting features of this past year is the distance I feel from the troubles of our nation. There's a local-ness to South Dakota that can be insulating. While dangerous, it's also protective. Disconnected from the larger turmoil, I can focus my energy here: on these students, these projects, these tangible and immediate moments. If there's anything that the Peace Corps taught me, it's that we change the world by positively impacting our own community, wherever we find ourselves at present, and Brookings is a great place to pursue just that. Nonetheless, I am hopeful for better days to come, and I anticipate that there will be ways to be more connected to the big picture in the year ahead.

For all of you, and for the past year, I am grateful. Wishing you a year of joy and peace,
Andrea