#302. September 20th, 2013: Dr. Peter Konwerski

As a student at a fairly large university, it can be tough sometimes to feel connected and supported. There is, however, one man who truly is dedicated to listening to students and following through with the work he does. That would be Dr. Peter Konwerski, Senior Associate Provost and Dean of Student Affairs here at GW. To begin with, Dr. Konwerski is extremely transparent and his presence on twitter at GW is actually one of the most comforting things we have. He really is at access to students and connects with us constantly. On top of that, Dr. Konwerski is a professor in the Human Services department and teaches a phenomenal class which I had the pleasure of taking last year. Even in that class you felt down to earth and devoted to the topics at hand and Dr. Konwerski was fantastic at giving us ample time for discussion and dialogue rather than just lecture at us. Dr. Konwerski has also been incredibly supportive with all of my endeavors, always being patient with crazy ideas like the Before I Die Wall and most recently being so helpful with TEDxFoggyBottom. Overall, Dr. Konwerski is an absolute asset to our university and his leadership, balance, and compassion is inspiring and empowering. Dr. Konwerski, thank you so much for being such a genuine man and for being a great professor! Thank you for such a fantastic experience with Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and for all the support and help you give so many students. Thank you for your dedication to service and helping our world. Thank you for all of your advice and feedback this summer with CI and thank you for just being a superb part of this wonderful institution that I call home.

#287. September 5th, 2013: Rhonna Bollig

To start, Rhonna is strong. She’s seriously one of the strongest people that I know and for that I admire her so much it’s crazy. Rhonna has one of the toughest jobs around and yet she handles it with such grace and a smile on her face (hey, that rhymed!) 🙂 Rhonna is incredibly supportive and understanding. She provides such comfort to every single resident in Thurston and to all the House Staff and RD’s as well. She’s a comfortable person to talk to and she’s SO good at diffusing situations. I truly don’t know how she does it but she’s great at what she does. Rhonna is also just a rockstar woman in general. I had the chance to go build houses with her and a bunch of students in New Orleans last spring and she was yet again so awesome with her stories and especially with when I got sick 🙂 Rhonna really is dedicated to helping those around her and I can’t explain how much I appreciate that, as well as how much everyone else is appreciative of that. Rhonna, thank you so much for being such a role model with your confidence, your work ethic, and your composure. Thank you so much for making last year doable and thank you so much for being a strong foundation for all of us to lean on. Thank you so much for all of the great jokes and all of your quirks; especially the Ben & Jerry’s one 🙂 Thank you for a great week in New Orleans and thank you for just being someone who makes me smile when I see you on the street or in Cube City! Thank you for being the superb human being that you are!