By Stephanie McAlpine, 2014–2015 NIRSA Championship Series Committee Chair
Whether you’re currently pursuing a degree or assisting others in their pursuit, it’s about that time in the spring semester that perspiration takes over. Earlier this year, I wrote about some things that inspire me. Thomas Edison once said, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration.” While I don’t classify myself as a genius, I do believe that inspiration is the “why” and perspiration is the “how”—and both are keys to success.
You might remember that my husband recently lost 40lbs, and his good old-fashioned hard work and sweat paid off this past weekend when he completed his first half marathon. I had some words of wisdom for my husband before the race—and which I think are useful for anyone pursuing a goal: It is going to be difficult, but anything worth achieving takes your greatest effort. And when you expend your greatest effort, it can be mentally, emotionally and physically draining.
After reflecting on his race and the several months of training, Chris had two associations with this idea of perspiration. The first was awareness of it when it was happening. He was very conscious of the fact that he was really exerting himself and growing exhausted. The second, which was more significant, was that he determined that he was going to persevere no matter what. He was going to persevere despite the exhaustion and the asthma triggered by high humidity and the unexpected hills and a leg injury. He was not going to quit. He told himself, “You are going to overcome these obstacles because you are not going to stop.”
Chris’s race preparation has parallels to many experiences each of us have been through as well to the kinds of challenges we help our students through. Whether it is the pursuit of being crowned the national champion as a sport club athlete, completing a degree, or searching for a first job after college, each of our students needs guidance and perseverance to achieve their aspirations. For our students, the obstacles are large, the distractions are tempting, and a supportive environment is essential. As student affairs professionals, we play a significant role in helping students achieve success. This has been proven with higher student retention and graduation rates, as well as increasing GPAs.
At this very moment, many of us are planning to take a few days away from our day-to-day responsibilities to attend the NIRSA Annual Conference in Grapevine, Texas, the USTA Tennis On Campus National Championship, or the NIRSA National Basketball Championships. These upcoming professional development opportunities are full of inspiration, ideas, and exploration. But as you travel, remember that achieving change or reaching new heights as an individual or within your department is “99% perspiration!”
You may also remember that my husband’s weight loss inspired me to begin a challenge to get fit and in shape at the start of the year. I figured that I should also disclose my challenge has been put on hold due to a growing family with a new baby expected to join the McAlpine family in September 2015! The hard work of a second pregnancy with an energetic toddler in the hot Texas summer will also be 99% perspiration!
I look forward to seeing many of you in Texas next week and hope you are able to learn more about NIRSA Championship Series at our session at the Annual Conference. The “NIRSA Championship Series–Year in Review” will take place on Thursday, April 2 from 11:00am–12:30pm in Texas 1-3 at the Gaylord Texan. See you there!
