I’ve been keeping quiet for a while about my leaving my current job to pursue a
MFA in Animation at
Rochester Institute of Technology. Corinn’s leaked a little of this info in the past, but today’s my first day off of work, for a very long, indeterminate amount of time.
Yesterday I had my last, unofficial day of work at the
Emergent Media Center at
Champlain College and left with many mixed emotions… None of which were at all negative, just positive energy. Emotions ranged from excitement, happiness, laughter to sad, tearful and lonesomeness… Much of what I am experiencing on this very lonely day. In fact, this morning was the equivalent of feeling like I was on another remote, distant, lifeless planet lying next to a sleeping cat. Normally a day of vacation doesn’t feel like this. But today, knowing that I’m no longer working at the EMC exaggerates this lonely feeling.
My last day, I walked into work with one of my students, Jeff Campbell, to find that my desk has been well preserved, possibly for my future return to the same desk. I guess Jeff and another student, Alex Tardif, decided to wrap my desk the night before around 9PM, but found that Corinn and I were still in the office, working on finalizing what I needed to complete for the following day.
HR appreciated the photographic evidence to support the last firing I would ever do working at the college.
They jutted out quickly to wait for another hour and a half before we left to go back in to do the job. I was quite impressed and flattered to be the center of hilarity. They did an excellent job and really set the tone for the day.
I was pretty thirsty and couldn't even access my water bottle!
A small gathering of people all over the college, the EMC, Corinn, some clients I’ve worked with, even some past students (which was awesome) came by to say hi and goodbye. The EMC gratefully put on a pizza and cake shindig and we celebrated the time together. It was awesome to see everyone and chat about life and the future. Sarah was awesome and got my favorite pizza: essentially anything from
Marco’s Pizza off of Williston road in South Burlington.
People enjoying the EMC's generosity.
We formulated that cutting the cake at a diagonal would be the Emergent Media Center way.
A little later after pizza and cake, Corinn and I were given a few gifts from the group. Ann gave me some art supplies to prepare myself for the education I was pursuing and gave Corinn some baking goodies to continue her awesome baking skills to utilize for making new friends when we move out to Rochester. I believe the chocolate given to us will not last until the move… It’s just a hunch.
Ann and Jim had some gifts for Corinn, this one was a catering set for the cookies to be made!
A book of advice called Lipstick Jungle for Corinn as well. I think it's about using lipstick in the jungle?
Corinn being awfully thankful for being included and recognized as an official EMC volunteer.
Ann and Jim providing me some high-quality art supply needs for RIT.
My favorite memento was handmade by
Lauren Nishikawa, the
Junior Creative Director of the
UN project and soon to move into my position as the Project Manager of the EMC. It simply is my doppelganger in the form of two balls with all the details that probably best describe me.
My new replacement for my teddy bear at night.
I love that my body is composed of the two colors you often see me in: green shirt with blue jeans. The details on the face are awesome and the hair debatably resembles my better qualities. It’s currently sitting on my desk at home and it’s awesome. To come from a person who I once thought hated me for pulling her off a project as a student, for what I thought was, for her own good, is overwhelmingly sweet. It’s definitely the most touching thing I’ve received in a long time.
The soul-patch too! What incredible detail!!!
I called the next event too; eventually we went into the conference room to view a slide show that also reveled to be a cleverly concealed
Rick Roll (the thing I was calling – it seemed inevitable). It was a trip down memory lane of not only how much weight I lost (over 50 lbs, now hovering at 200 lbs – thanks Sarah, Corinn and
Weight Watchers), but also how many days and activities I got to experience with many close friends, students and co-workers.
Sharing a memory I had about John Cohn's house during an EMC adventure...
...And then shows up John just after I finished my story!
It eventually evolved into a socially awkward moment for me, trying to hold back my appreciative tears that were forming, as I wanted to thank everyone for the times they shared with me, the projects I’ve been involved with and for the students to allow me to be part of their educational opportunities and lives. Memories of the EMC and the time at Champlain College will not be forgotten easily.
Corinn and I realizing how awesome these people are and what we'll be missing.
Afterwards, a little more chatting occurred with folks who stayed around, a couple rounds of Street Fighter IV with Alex Schwartz and Bryan Hare, and then, eventually, I went back to work. I couldn’t finish or even start everything I wanted to do, but that’s just me being picky for the most part; I learned from both Ann DeMarle and Richard Terricciano about what Richard dubbed to be “The Ray Gold Standard”, which simply describes my wishes for perfection and how sometimes it’s okay to leave things imperfect to meet deadlines. There are many more lessons I could talk about, but this particular one made me realize that the EMC will be okay without me. I just wanted to make sure that I was not going to leave a giant hole. My role over the past several months was to make sure that my leaving would go unnoticed.
It almost feels like what my Grandmother Bergeron is currently going through. She’s lately been preparing for her future passing by making sure everything is clean and tidy while also making sure that her family is well taken care of before she leaves. I too wanted to make sure that the EMC would be well taken care of before I left, hence the many long days, late nights and lots of notice before today. After all, they are what I would consider my family.
It was fairly recently that I put two and two together about my family history and the ties to my current occupational role. My known heritage is 3/4 French Canadian and 1/4 German. My family’s last name is Bergeron of which is the occupational name for a shepherd, from the Old French word bergier or berger. Raymond is Old German meaning protecting hands or counselor. Not sure if my family intended to name me after my potential future role, but thinking about it, it’s pretty much what I’ve been doing for the past several years. Hopefully I’ve appropriately fulfilled what my family has chosen to represent me through my names, and that I continue to fulfill a similar role after obtaining my MFA.
All I hope for is to make the ones who care about me as proud as I have been of my peers, students, coworkers, and family over the past several years of my life. My goal earlier in life was to make my mother and father proud. I now realized that the expectations have grown beyond that as the network of people who touched my life in one way or another has grown as well.
A small example of proof that inspiration happened on a local level. Thanks Jeremy for being inspired. I call Sarah Jerger's the curlhawk.
I could have not imagined being part of a more cohesive group of caring people; I could not have imagined the opportunities I have had over the past 10 years working at Champlain College. I never thought I could find
another mentor quite like
Tim Comolli who was like a 2nd father to me while at
South Burlington High School, believing in my potential, strengthening my abilities and giving me a vision of what was possible. I’ve always have known, but I definitely now know, how lucky I have been to have had been part of a community of incredibly smart, talented, professionals who do want to make positive impacts on small and large scales within local and global groups in multiple societies.
Ann DeMarle and John Cohn: excellent examples of people who inspire me on a daily basis and role-models who continue to positively impact people's lives both on a local and global scale.
I personally believe that you become immortal through the words one passes on to another. I hope to be part of that story that continues. I hope to make an impact in society and on the world to inspire generations. I believe Champlain College, my peers and family have jumpstarted that possibility and steered me in the proper direction.
I hope to not disappoint. I hope to make people proud. After all, I owe a lot to these individuals as they have inspired me to do great things.
Thank you all for aiding in completing the largest chapter in my life to date and to continue with another.
In fact, I will not disappoint. I will make people proud. Hope will vanish if I cannot do.
…And I promise to do.