Goodbye to DFSL & UMD
Kiyah Tenee McDermid
How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. - Winnie the Pooh
Hello DFSL family -
I hope this email finds you well and that you all have begun a restful and recentering summer.
I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving the University of Maryland this summer and my official last day is July 31. If you're curious about next steps for me, well me too! I am planning to take a self-imposed sabbatical to give me time and space to pour into myself, family and passion projects I have been dreaming of.
It goes without saying that I really appreciated my time with you all over these last 3 years. We like to say in DFSL that we believe fraternities and sororities have the power to be the most transformative part of the college experience. And I definitely agree. My time with DFSL, with you all, has been one of the most amazing, rewarding and enlightening experiences I have had in my lifetime and it is bittersweet to say goodbye.
If there is one thing I hope you walked away with this year, it’s the fact that you matter, you are powerful and you have the ability to improve the world around you. I hope that you recognize your greatness, that you have deep self love and confidence in yourself, that you know the only person you should compete with is you.
I also want you to remember that kindness matters. This is not a concept that society pushes on young people. The media pushes you violence, fear and division, it makes coming at each other humorous and entertaining. But we have to get into the habit of building each other up. We have to work hard to counteract all the negative images we see about ourselves by being kind and supportive of each other, challenging each other with care and pushing each other towards collective success and freedom. We have to be the dominoes who radically shift what it means to be a community and in community with one another. We have to love each other.
Thank you for growing with me and allowing me to grow with you. I will miss you and hope to see you soon. I'm sending you all the love, prayers and good vibes.
Please keep in touch! Should you need anything after July 31st, feel free to email me at: kiyah.m...@gmail.com. Take care of each other and I look forward to all the amazing things you will do in this next new chapter of our lives.