Community : a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
If I have learned anything, it is the power that a community holds. The power to ignite change, the power to restore, the power to help one another heal, to process, the power to comfort, to laugh, to share, and finally, the empowerment they inspire when individuals join something that is bigger than themselves. Communities are multi-faceted and rightfully so. They are a demonstration of a number of relationships, values, and individual stories. But, a community is nothing without the individuals that create the foundation of it.
The Longwood community is one that inspires, encourages, supports, and instills joy. It is a privilege to be able to contribute to the Longwood community and be apart of it. One thing I realized after my Freshman year, was that the Longwood community does not just include everybody that is currently on campus. It includes every student, faculty, staff, and family member that has contributed or been invested in the Longwood community at some point in 1839-present. Longwood has taught me how necessary it is to be an active part of your community, a quality that shapes future citizen leaders, and to be present. We will all be apart of a number of communities throughout our lifetime, and being apart of the Longwood community is continuing to shape me into an individual who is invested, encouraging, and present.
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” – Helen Keller