College Colors Day

Long post, so scroll on now or settle back with your coffee/tea: I grew up in small factory town in southwestern Virginia. I was my mother's youngest of 3, my grandmother's youngest of 21👶🏾. The closest 1st cousin in age to me was 14 when I was born (yes, I have 2nd cousins older than me!). My sister left for college (A&T - Aggie Pride!) when I was 2; my brother left (Vrginia State - Trojans!!) when I was 4🥹. So from birth, between my siblings, cousins and neighbors, all I heard/comprehended was school and college👏🏾👏🏾. I could complete 40 and 50 piece puzzles at 2; I could read, write, and acquired a thirst for knowledge by age 3. I poured through our antiquated set of encyclopedias almost daily. Yes, my post about substituting in a 12th grade English/summer school class at 3 is true. 😄🤣 Therefore, my love for learning and teaching started even before I set foot in a school (I thank Doc and Lula Johnson for that!❤️) 

My mama told me (later in life) it was around that time when adults asked what I wanted to be, I said "I want to be a teacher when I grew up, and I wanted to go to Virginia Tech to do it!" She had no idea where I heard about Virginia Tech (maybe from a news report on TV or an article in the newspaper - yes, I read the newspaper daily before she or my aunt). She wanted all three of her children to go to college, so she had no doubts that I would eventually achieve my goal.

Fast forward 14 years (often switching career ideas, but still saying that I would go to Tech), and I was granted the opportunity to spend the week at Virginia Tech via the Upward Bound Program. 😱👏🏾👏🏾 I was in HEAVEN!!! I roamed the campus almost everyday, staring at the huge buildings and classrooms, picturing myself walking across the drill field going to class, soaking it all in. THERE was where I should be! ❤️🧡🙏🏾 I returned home and cruised through my senior year of high school. I attended college nights held at school; Mama always pushed to me visit tables and rooms for other colleges (Sweet Briar, ODU, VCU, A&T, UNC-G), but I went to the Virginia Tech room FIRST.❤️🧡 

For weeks I practiced completing college applications until it was time (Jan.) to make a solid decision - to which schoolS would I send applications? Even though *I* only wanted to mail in ONE ❤️🧡, Mama made me mail two. 😳🥺🫣 I did and waited...and waited...and waited. I made a solemn promise and vow to myself (and to my Granny - she knew my heart) that if I didn't get accepted at my first choice, I was not going to college. Knowing that was NOT an option for Ruby, I waited😳🫣...and prayed.🙏🏾 

Mid-March a large, FLAT envelope arrived from UNC-G. Accepted...🥹Nice 😐 Mama was happy because I was close to home and closer to my sister. 😑👏🏾 The college looked forward to hearing from me to further my enrollment process. Lovely 😑🫥😶😶‍🌫️ ...I'll wait. Near the end of March, my financial aid award letter arrived....with grants and scholarships galore (!!!!) and asked that I contact them by xx date with my college information so they could forward my information. Sweet...🥰😳🥹😶🫥😶‍🌫️...I have some time, so I'll wait. 

A few days later I come home from school...Granny met me at the door (nothing unusual) with a sly smile on her face 😐 😏 "You have mail" She said. 😳 Granny could not read, but she KNEW mail - bills mail, junk mail, and important mail😳🫣 There on the ottoman, nicely separated, was the daily mail - the bills, the junk...and a large, THICK business envelope from Virginia Tech! 😄👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️🧡 As the saying goes, the rest was history.

I have been asked many times (by strangers), "Did you go to Virginia Tech?" ONE person added to his question, "...or do you just LIKE them?" 😳😡 My answer has always been, "I said at 5 that I wanted to go to Virginia Tech. I did that, AND I GRADUATED in 1987." To the other stranger, I added, "where did you go?" 😳 I got no answer...he walked away. 😆

Thanks for reading....😁😅

#virginiatech #Hokie #hokienation #virginiatechhokies #hokie4allofmylife  #maroonandorange #yesididgraduatefromvt  #CollegeColorsDay