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From Welcome Week to the Three-Peat!

Author: Ellie Thorstad

One of my favorite questions to ask anyone I meet on a Pay It Forward Tour is how they found out about the organization or what caused them to join the bus. Whether it was a way to get service hours, an eye-catching poster on campus, or an excuse to spend a week with the person they had a crush on, I love hearing about the events that led people to get involved. Similarly, I love to tell my STLF story, which began when I randomly chose an info session to attend based on which had the fastest moving line. It was Welcome Week at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, and I had no idea that my impatience would completely alter my path in life. That day, I heard my first Greg Tehven speech, I met three of my best friends for the first time, and I began my journey with STLF. It's a story that I love to share because it reminds me how a seemingly random choice or simple event can lead to something huge.

Though it may go without saying, my STLF experience has grown since that first info session, and it has shaped everything from my social circle to my major. Countless hours have been spent meeting with my core(s), planning service projects, facilitating Love Languages, or getting to know new STLFers. Working in the National Office has been a huge highlight, and am thrilled to be spending my third season at Nash as Summer Staff on the Program Core. What I love most about working for STLF is that there is always more you can learn, growing personally and professionally.

When I tell the story of how I got involved with STLF, I generally end with "...and they haven't been able to get rid of me yet" or"...and I've never looked back." As I settle into my third experience as Seasonal Staff in the National Office, these words are upheld once again. I'm excited and thankful for this three-peat, and that it allows me to learn alongside amazing friends. 

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