If you’re reading this, I hope you feel seen.
I don’t mean this in the literal sense. I mean I hope the spaces you show up in, the activities you participate in, and the people you surround yourself with allow you to show up as your full self.
I’ve heard an athletic department be described as the “front porch” of a university, which would imply that it and all those who are a part of it are highly visible. I think about the young people who participate in sports and compete at the highest level in front of hundreds of thousands of fans, while also struggling to be seen as anything more than just an athlete.
I sometimes wonder that even while being part of a team, are they able to have individuality? Is there more we as their support system can do to create spaces that honor their full selves?
If you’re reading this, I hope you feel seen.
It’s an honor and a privilege to serve at the University of Virginia. I’m reenergized time and time again by my interactions with the young people on Grounds.
If you’re reading this, I hope you feel seen.
In spending time with them, my hope is to always pour into them as people, as individuals who are more than a number on a jersey, more than an athlete, but a person, just like their student peers.
If you’re reading this, I hope you create spaces that make people feel seen. I hope the activities you participate in make others feel seen. I hope the people you surround yourself with allow for everyone to show up as their full selves.
Within you exists a great vision for your life. Honor that by the ways in which you care for yourself and others.
If you’re reading this, I hope you feel seen.
Dr. Carla Williams
UVA Athletic Director