Keeping Perspective
We often get letters from OFA students. April, a recent graduate from University of California, Riverside, and recipient of our OFA Scholarship every year she was in school, sent us this fantastic letter, and fun picture of her and her new husband. April, we are so proud of you!
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There are not many things to say that will adequately cover how I feel about all that you do. I have not been very good at expressing my gratitude. Partly because of my own memory issues, and partly because I tend to get overwhelmed with gratitude and then don’t know what to say! Thank-you doesn’t seem like it properly expresses what I feel.
OFA has been an amazing network of support. One of my strongest memories was of when, early on in my relationship with OFA, my engine totally went out in my car. I told you about it with no real intention other than venting. I was blown away when I received a check to fix my car. There have been so many times where I have seen fellow students run into trouble and turned to their parents for help. I have always tried to keep perspective, but have always had a part of me that was envious and sad that I didn’t have that kind of support. When you paid for my car repair, I realized that I truly did have that kind of support.
Aside from the financial support, you guys are just an awesome group of people. Your emails were always consistently loving and upbeat. I think the first couple of years of college were really rough for me. I was going through a divorce and overwhelmed with life and just sad a lot. You did a great job of staying positive and reminded me to do the same without lecturing me; you just lead by example. As a result, I started noticing the way I tended to come off, and made a conscious effort to change my outlook. You have been a role model in more ways that you know.
In short, you are very loved and appreciated. I am married, graduated, and in the real world now, and it’s scary, but not nearly as it once was.
Please also know that if I can ever give back in any way, I would love to.
Sincerely,
April M.
