By
Adekemi Ademuyewo, Shannon Barr and Anna Mahathey
Adekemi Ademuyewo, Shannon Barr and Anna Mahathey
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| From L to R: Kemi, Shannon and Anna at the HPU Holiday party |
“Well…this is awkward…” Kemi
proclaimed to Anna and Shannon as she reveled in the awkward silence that
filled the kitchen of their temporary home the first week they met. That
sentiment was shared by all the women, who didn’t quite know what to expect out
of having to live with the same people they would have to work alongside for
the next year. As the only VISTA with a studio apartment to herself the year
prior, Anna, quite honestly, was not looking forward to adding two strangers to
the living mix. But along came quiet, inquisitive Shannon and vibrant, cheerful
Kemi, and all three women, the now self-proclaimed Vivacious VISTAs, moved into
a cozy, campus-owned VISTA house.
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| Stuffed peppers a la VISTA Chefs |
They started off their
bonding experience by taking the beautiful one-mile walk along the greenway to
work each morning. As they trekked up the deceivingly steep hill that made
their thighs and calves burn, the initial awkwardness blossomed into friendship.
Over the following months, they spent many a night quizzing each other on state
capitals, learning together the correct geography of the United States and
trying for far too long to open jammed doors. They also bonded while hanging
mirrors, sipping on wine and fabricating definitions for non-existent words
during late night games of Boggle. They’ve challenged each other to try new
things, including do-it-yourself haircuts via YouTube video instruction, a
30-day squat challenge (because VISTAs who squat together, stay together!), and
the delectable treat of Oreos and peanut butter.
While mostly fun and
full of laughter, this living situation hasn’t been without its challenges. As the
VISTAs wear the multiple hats of being coworkers, friends and housemates, they
readily find themselves coming home exhausted at the end of a long work day,
only to catch up on other work-related matters late into the night. It’s been
both a blessing and a curse for the VISTAs to wear these hats. As introverted
people working in a highly extroverted field, they understand and share the
time investment and demands of their job, which cultivates an empathetic
environment and readily accessible support system. But it also means that their
home often doubles as an office.
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| Anna (l) and Kemi (r) at Thursday night dinner |
To attempt to remedy
that issue, the Vivacious VISTAs declared Thursdays nights as roomie dinner
nights, a time during which work would not be discussed. Instead, they cranked
up the Kitchen Karaoke station on Songza, put on their dancing socks and cut up
yummy veggies together to relish in each other’s work-free company. However,
old habits die hard. Several attempted work-free dinners ended in work-related
conversation, so the VISTAs instituted their own book club. Following the
glowing recommendation of one of their students, and because they all identify
as introverts, the VISTAs decided to read Quiet:
The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. What was once a time instinctively
filled by work schedules, frustrations and questions, transformed into
stimulating conversation about personal habits, self-reflective inquiries and
new discoveries.
The VISTA house has become a home through late nights of laughter and late nights of work. Surprisingly, eight months into their VISTA term, they haven’t gotten sick of each other yet, something they all think is a miraculous feat. At the HPU VISTA house, VISTAs have provided one another an extraordinary education, have cultivated an inspiring environment, and have been caring people.
The Vivacious VISTAs rock!
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Learn more about the High Point VISTAs in the following media mentions:
Alumna Works to Make a Difference in High Point (featuring Anna Mahathey)
Knocking on Hunger's Door (featuring Shannon Barr and Kemi Ademuyewo)
