Freshman Orientation @ Bowie State University | Thankful Thursday July 31, 2014

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.

It’s time to say goodbye to July and speaking of saying goodbye, on Sunday, July 27^th, we took our youngest son to Bowie State University in Maryland for his 3-day Freshman Orientation. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss him because I did, after all it was his first time yes, his first time away from home alone for this length of time.

Bowie State is only a 2 hour drive, the traffic wasn’t bad and he slept the entire time reminding me of his younger days when he rode in the back strapped into a car seat.

Arriving on campus around 12:30, our first impression was positive, well at least the landscaping was nice, however that quickly changed because registration was held in the old gym which definitely needed renovations. Walking “the yard” we also saw several buildings that had seen better days with considerable wear and tear including inside the dorms.

However, we were impressed with other buildings including the Library and Student Center and was informed by a student that there was a much better gymnasium which we hadn’t seen.  Bowie State is an HBCU with a legacy dating back 125 years, so there is a lot of history all over this campus.

We checked in before Malik’s roommate so he had an opportunity to choose which side of the room he wanted then the disinfecting began. He didn’t seem disappointed in the size of the room nor the furniture which was good considering he’s never had to share one.

After completing the dorm room checklist we left to explore more of the campus.  Me of course kept stopping to take pictures, while hubby and son walked on ahead of me, not interested in what I was doing but deeply engrossed in their conversation.

In the dorm room

Beautiful View

Orientation began at 2:30 for both the parents and students, with parents sitting in the balcony of the new Fine and Performing Arts Center and the students in the lower level. Several speakers including the Provost spoke about BSU, it’s history and the importance of having a positive experience over the next several days. Reminding us parents that we must allow our sons and daughters to go through metamorphosis so they will be able to break through the cocoon and fly upward.

Parents were then escorted to another location for our orientation to discuss the Wellness Program, Public Safety and last but certainly not least Financial Aid. After that we were reunited with our sons and daughters for a final hug/kiss/pic goodbye as we were told leave by 6:00.

As you can see from the following pictures, there were some tender moments between father and son and I was even able to wrangle a few pictures with him as well (check out the arm grip).

Looking into a mirror!

We returned yesterday evening to pick him up and needless to say, he was glad to be back home to his bed, his car, his friends, and hopefully his family!

Today I am thankful to have him home for another month because the next time he leaves on August 27^th, it will be for 3+ months.

I am also thankful for my family, friends and of course my faith.

Now it’s your turn, what are you thankful for this week?