I try not to talk much about my job. I am a private person and I respect both what I do and the people I work with. Today, though, I feel the need to share.

As part of my job, I work with scholarships every year. It's NOT an easy process. Not every applicant will receive a scholarship, and though it's business, it can also be an emotional experience.

Essays tell you a lot about a person. And sometimes, they make you laugh so hard you fall out of your chair. Recommendations sometimes make you wonder whether the "recommender" has ever even met the student. Need evaluations can be confusing and leave you searching for more. There is nothing cut and dry about the process.

I literally finshed evaluations on Tuesday for this year's awards. This morning, we received an opportunity to fund ONE additional student based on very specific criteria.

It was a scramble. There are so many deserving students who have been through so much and still keep pursuing their goals, yet we were actually having trouble finding a single individual to fit all the parameters. Until the very last application.

And it was one I had been upset about earlier this week for being unable to award the scholarship they had applied for.

I'm touched. I feel like I learn so much about the individuals who apply, and I become emotionally invested. I'm also reminded that I have been given a lot of opportunity in my life that many others have not, and I have to smile knowing that I have the chance to offer other people opportunities through what I do.

I am proud of my work. And through it, I am reminded to step back and take a look at what I have, what I have acccomplished in my life, and how much I admire those who have supported me along the way. It may not be much, but it's mine. And I can only hope that I am able to provide some sort of positive reminder for others as they strive toward their goals.

This morning's scramble made my Friday. Things may not be perfect in my life right now, but they're a lot better than they could be. It's the little things that keep me smiling.