Sometimes in life, being grateful for what is around you is not enough. You have to turn inward and find value in yourself. With Thanksgiving coming up, The Current has taken the time to be thankful for what we will always have — ourselves.
Skylyr VanDerveer, multimedia manager,
“The quality I’m most thankful for is the ability to stay strong. To say it lightly, life has thrown a lot of negative stuff on my family. Watching my parents try and hold everything together encouraged young Skylyr to do the same. Watching how they and my younger siblings react to the hard times made me eager to do everything I could to help. From knee surgeries to saving what was left of my house during Hurricane Sandy, I grew thick skin and put my family first. I’ll always be grateful for them, especially for teaching me how to be strong.”
Christina McLaughlin, co-editor-in-chief,
“I’m grateful for my perseverance in times of struggle in my life. I faced a lot of challenges in my life thus far and I’m grateful that I have the strength and, at times, stubbornness to push myself and reach my goals. I think this quality was really ingrained in me by my parents and my upbringing which I feel is one of the most important things they ever taught me. I don’t know where I would be today if I didn’t have the strength to work through the obstacles in my life.”
Madelyn Rinka, Co-Editor-in-Chief
“I’m grateful for the passion I have. I tend to get super involved with a lot of things, but I don’t feel as overwhelmed or overworked when they’re all things I care about. I love learning about the environment, being involved in my sorority, writing for the paper and a lot more. My schedule is always packed and my to do list is normally huge, but it makes it a little more manageable when I’m passionate about what I’m doing.”
Kathleen Crapson, visual design assistant,
“I am resilient. People around me like to tell me that I am brave, courageous and strong. Sometimes I listen to them, and smirk, because those terms are seemingly trite. My mom named me “Kathleen Nichole,” which means “pure victory.” I knew that Kathleen meant “pure,” and Nichole meant “victory of the people,” but for some reason, it hadn’t become my personal mantra. I hadn’t yet connected to something that sounded so aloof like “victory of the people.” It was only after she died that I put two and two together. She wanted me to know that victory wasn’t just for other people. I could have my own victory, too.”
Alexandra Herlihy, sports editor,
“The quality that I am thankful that I have is my public speaking ability. I’ve never really been afraid to talk in front of other people and that has made school so much easier for me. I would always be the only one to look forward to presenting speeches back in grade school. It was just something that always came easy to me.”
Aaron Banyard, copy editor,
“One thing I’m really thankful for is joy. While there are ups and downs in life, getting joy from everyday things like sunshine or smiles from strangers makes it all much better. And sharing joy with loved ones is the greatest feeling in the world.”
Kelsey Bruce, arts and entertainment editor,
“One quality I am grateful for is my self-reliance. No matter what turns my life has taken, I am always able to take care of myself in the end. My ability to let go of people and activities that are not contributing towards my growth, even ones that have brought me much joy, makes me feel strong. Having that much faith in myself makes me feel like I could make it through anything.”
Kryshan Edler, news editor
“I am grateful for my gift of being a good listener. As a quiet person, I am inclined to listen and to observe what is going on around me. Being a good listener allows people to open up to me and feel comfortable sharing what is weighing them down, or maybe to share their good news with someone. I can listen to what is troubling them and help them work through it. It creates strong relationships. Sometimes all someone needs is for someone to listen. This is why I love my job. It allows me to listen to people’s stories and share those stories.”
