A Moment In Time

Fellow Graduates, Honored Mentors, Distinguished Leaders and Alumni,


The last three months have passed by as though in the blink of an eye. It seems it was only yesterday when we were Paper Doll Gang Newbies, and were working on the New Waiting Class Forum Playground Challenges. I remember the excitement I felt each time I completed a challenge and was rewarded for my efforts. Every time I received a star I felt one step closer to beginning the "real" class. Then we discovered there were More Playground Challenges. Remember those? To tell the truth, I had forgotten about these challenges until I was reminded of them by my own Paper Doll Gang Newbie for whom I am now a mentor. She, too, is showing great enthusiasm and excitement for the class to begin. As a matter of fact, she has already finished those challenges. She reminds me of myself as I was just three short months ago.

Let me say something here about our mentors and our leaders. One of the first things that happened was that we were each assigned a mentor. A mentor is a very valuable commodity to have, indeed. My mentor was Shelley A. I found that I could ask my mentor anything and she was always there to help me. She made me feel as though I meant something, and that my questions were important. My mentor helped me believe I was really a part of the Paper Doll Gang. Thank you, Shelley A -- you encouraged me and I felt as though I were a vital part of the program. You never made me feel foolish by any question I asked. You were so kind and generous with your time; and you were the friend I really needed. So let us all be sure to thank our mentors, for we could not have gone through the program without them.

As far as the leaders are concerned -- Hannah --  you are the best. Even though you were out on medical leave for most the term, while you were around, you made your friendly presence known. I felt as though I could come to you about anything and you would respond. You were so dedicated that you were even typing with just one hand in order to stay in touch with us. I call that real dedication. Thank you for your leadership and determination. Also, thank you to all the other leaders who are too numerous to name here. You made our time as Paper Doll Newbies a time to remember. You all stepped up when Hannah became injured, and you didn't skip a beat in her absence. Without you, this program could not continue. Thank you for all you have done for us.

Once our class began, we found it was so much more than we imagined it would be. There were some things we were assigned to do which we had never done before. Besides short stories and poetry, we learned how to create crossword puzzles, polls, ins and outs, campfires, review templates, query letters, and contests. Each experience seemed to be more valuable than the previous one. If not for the Paper Doll Gang, I am sure there are a few of these items we would never have created. But now we can say we have the experience, and in the future will not hesitate to go out there and create some more. 

During our time as Newbies, we were each assigned a pal. My pal was Roxiie, and she was perhaps one of the most precious things I received in this class. As pals, we encouraged each other, laughed with each other, cheered each other on, and soothed each other when things were not going so well. My pal means the world to me, and I feel I have found a lifelong friend. Just the other day I asked her: "What would I do without you?"  and her reply was: "What would I do without you?"  I hope all my fellow Paper Doll Graduates have found the same kind of friendships with their pals as I have. I know I am grateful for my pal, and I think we will be friends for a long time. Thank you, Roxiie, for being my pal.

Besides my pal, I have made other friends, too. It has been a wonderful experience to get to know some more people as friends here at WDC. WDC is such a big place, but it is amazing how easy it is to make friends. Some of the friends I have made here will be my friends for a very long time to come, and the Paper Doll Gang has been a great place to meet some of them.

At last, all the short stories are written, all the poetry is finished, and all the challenges are complete. All the GPs have been sent, the last merit badge has been handed out, and the last awardicon has been given. The time has come for us to go forward as Paper Doll Graduates. But we will always remember the moment when we were Paper Doll Gang Newbies -- a moment which has been a moment in time.