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Hi everyone, and welcome to the final UVA
Weekly of the semester.

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Over the last few months, we’ve used this
show as a way to share the latest COVID updates

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and give you a behind-the-scenes look at some
of the incredible work being done by people

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across Grounds to keep our community safe
and help us deliver on our mission.

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Today, we’re going to do something a little
bit different.

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At the end of a unique—and uniquely challenging—semester,
I want to take a few minutes to thank some

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of the people who, through their extraordinary
effort, patience, and perseverance did what

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many said couldn’t be done, and in the process
helped show the world exactly what being a

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great and good university looks like.

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First, to our students—both those who came
to Grounds and those who stayed home this

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semester.

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College is hard enough under normal circumstances
let alone during a pandemic, but you took

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the extra burden in stride.

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Aside from a few unfortunate lapses, you did
what you had to do to stay safe.

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You looked out for one another.

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You dealt with testing, isolation, and Zoom
fatigue.

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And on top of all that, many of you also managed
to get involved in extracurricular activities,

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serve the community, do research, and have
some fun along the way.

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Every generation has its defining challenge,
and this pandemic will likely be yours.

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But you rose to meet it again and again—which
gives me enormous hope both for your future

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and ours.

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To our faculty and deans.

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Who would have guessed that moving all your
classes online in a week last spring was just

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the beginning?

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Nothing about this semester was easy—whether
you were teaching in-person or online.

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But I’ve been incredibly impressed not only
by your resilience and creativity but by your

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genuine concern for our students and their
wellbeing.

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Thank you for helping us continue to deliver
on our teaching and research missions despite

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all of the challenges of the semester—and
for continuing to shed light on both enduring

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questions and the new ones we’ve faced this
year.

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To our incredible staff.

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Thank you to the front line workers who cleaned
classrooms and residence halls, maintained

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our HVAC systems, staffed dining halls, and
installed signs and plexiglass barriers across

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Grounds.

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To Procurement for getting us the supplies
we needed, including PPE, and the Emergency

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Management team for helping coordinate our
response.

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To the care teams who made sure that even
when our students were isolated, they never

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felt alone.

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And to the staff at Student Health, Employee
Health, and the Student Activities Building

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who helped us ramp up testing and provide
treatment—including the team at the saliva

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testing lab that hasn’t gotten a day off
in months.

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Thank you to the members of the Implementation
Working Group, led by JJ Davis, our COO, and

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Liz Magill, our Provost, which has met every
day this semester to troubleshoot problems,

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and thanks to the Contingency Planning Group,
which prepared for every possible scenario.

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To the mighty team in Student Affairs—including
Pat Lampkin, who might actually get to retire

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one of these days—thank you for going above
and beyond for our students.

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And thanks to the RAs, without whom none of
this would have been possible.

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Thank you to the Advancement staff who navigated
both a pandemic and a tough economy to help

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us continue to fund our priorities; the members
of the Office of Engagement who found new

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ways to connect; and the tech support teams
across the University who kept everything

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up and running.

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Thanks to the people whose work lives were
turned upside down by the pandemic—from

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parking and transportation, to the library
staff, to IM/Rec and everyone else who pitched

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in where their specific skills and extra hands
were needed.

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And thanks to HR for identifying those needs
and coordinating new assignments.

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Thank you to the team members at the Health
System—the epidemiologists, doctors, nurses,

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lab techs, and staff—who helped us try to
understand this virus and offer world-class

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treatment to those fighting it.

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And a special thanks to Dr. Mitch Rosner and
Dr. Costi Sifri for their deep knowledge and

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steady leadership, as well as the local health
district for their partnership.

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Thank you to the student-athletes, coaches,
and staff in the Athletics Department who

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kicked their already impressive discipline
up a notch to keep themselves and their opponents

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safe.

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To the alumni who helped us expand testing,
advance COVID-related research, and help students

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who needed financial assistance.

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To the members of the Board of Visitors who
have been key partners and supported us through

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some tough decisions.

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To the parents and families who trusted us
with their students at a difficult and uncertain

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time.

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To everyone who has shared their talents as
part of Arts on the Hill; to the ambassadors

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who have reminded us to wear masks and keep
our distance; and to the students who worked

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on the #YouVA campaign.

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To the members of the Charlottesville community
who had faith in us and held us accountable—as

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well as everyone who has volunteered their
time to help those in need, including by offering

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community testing.

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Thank you all.

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Finally, a special thanks to the members of
the video team who have recorded me every

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week and done it safely.

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And thanks to Zeno and Nia for being such
excellent co-hosts.

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If I have left anyone off, please accept my
apology and know that I appreciate everything

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you have done and will continue to do.

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There really are too many people to thank—which
is a reflection of the fact that this pandemic

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has demanded more of all of us and that our
success has only been possible because everyone,

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everywhere did that part.

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For that I will always be immensely grateful.

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I hope all of you can take some time off over
the holidays.

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I don’t think any group of people has ever
deserved a break more.

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And I have no doubt that when we come back
together in the new year, we will be ready

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to face a new set of challenges—with confidence
in each other; faith in our abilities; and

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a commitment, as always, to do the best we
can for this university that we love.

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I’ll see you on the other side.

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And now here’s Nia.

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Hi Everyone, it’s Nia Augustine with your
last installment of UVA Weekly for 2020.

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I’m here with the #Youva team, where I can
bring to you updates on COVID and news on

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grounds.

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We’ve started a bit early this week so that
you can enjoy Lighting of the Lawn – virtually

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– tonight.

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More on that later.

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As we finish off the last week of classes,
I would like to pause and say thank you to

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UVA students, faculty, staff, and workers.

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You have all done a tremendous job by adhering
to the numerous rules and regulations due

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to the pandemic.

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I hope that we can keep this energy and finish
off on a high note.

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So, everyone, please continue to wear your
masks, and follow the socially distant small

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gatherings of under 10 people.

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As some students depart for home or leave
Charlottesville, stay there until classes

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begin next semester if you can.

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Moving back and forth, whether living off
or on grounds is highly advised against.

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There will be testing required before returning
to Grounds so rest with family over the holidays

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while keeping an eye on the Return to Grounds
Monitoring and Testing Site for instructions.

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The longer Winter Break this year and later
start to the spring semester, may have a financial

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impact on students, especially those on financial
aid who may be anticipating a refund at the

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start of the semester.

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To help overcome these obstacles, Student
Financial Services will post an application

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for Spring CARES Act funding in December so
eligible students can request financial assistance

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to support winter break or J-Term needs for
food or other emergency incidentals.

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All students who are enrolled in courses for
the spring 2021 term, and who have successfully

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completed a FAFSA for the 2020-2021 academic
year, can request funding.

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Those who are not eligible to complete a FAFSA
may also fill out the application to be considered

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for limited institutional funding.

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The application and additional information
will be available on the Student Financial

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Services website in December.

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You may also write to emergency funding at
Virginia for more information.

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UVA Mutual Aid is an innovative new resource
for students too.

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This is a new organization within the Student
Council that formed in March in response to

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COVID, and they offer modest grants to students
experiencing any financial hardship due to

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the pandemic with no strings attached.

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Their goal is a more equitable UVA where all
students have their fundamental needs met.

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Since March, they have collected and distributed
over $21,000 to students and the program is

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open to any student, including those who are
undocumented.

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They currently have nearly $5,000 in outstanding
requests from students.

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If viewers would like to support Mutual Aid,
please Venmo UVAMutualAid or utilize Paypal

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or Zelle.

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Check out their website for more information.

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Now, as we all think about Thanksgiving Break,
we wanted to leave you with some thoughts

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from students and others around Grounds, about
what they are thankful for, and what has made

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a really tough year a little bit better.

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Here’s what they had to say.

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Yeah, I’m really excited for Thanksgiving.

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I’m excited to see my family again and be
home with them for a little bit.

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Things are okay, it's been a little bit quiet
on grounds as folks are starting to head home.

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I think everyone’s trying to relax after
a rough semester.

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It’s been a long two months, especially
because we're nursing students, so we really

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haven't gotten a break yet.

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We all need a break from school, so.

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I'm excited to go home but also, I'm a little
bit nervous about traveling.

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I also think there’s a lot of anxiety around
going home because we've been here for so

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long and then going home to family it’s
a little nervous.

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I am a little sad about Thanksgiving this
year because I can't be with my grandma or

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my aunts and uncles which is a little disappointing.

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I'm going to be spending Thanksgiving with
my friends, my quarantine pod, and really

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being grateful for the people I have here
at my second home.

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This is my dog, Penney, I’m watching her
for a few days and I’m really grateful for

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her.

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I’m grateful that there's still a lot of
stability in the world given the incredible

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circumstances.

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As a scientist, it’s a super rewarding time
to be doing infectious disease research.

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I'm just really happy with the news over the
last week from Pfizer and Moderna that there's

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a vaccine that’s more than 90% effective.

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I’m grateful I haven't gotten sick yet,
I haven’t caught the Corona, been dipping

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and dodging.

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I’m also really grateful that I'll be able
to spend the holiday season with my family.

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I’m really grateful for my parents, they’re
all the way out in California so I've just

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been calling them a lot this year and it's
been really nice.

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I think it's important to be grateful like,
in general just like appreciate the small

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things.

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Given the vast majority of human history,
we live in truly amazing times and I kind

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of forget about that a lot recently.

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Sometimes we don't recognize the things that
we do have until we don't have them.

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We often talk about gratitude in our nursing
classes about how it will lead to better resiliency,

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and how, you just live so much of your life
not noticing the good, and when you are intentional

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about that gratitude, you actually realize
that life’s not that bad.

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We have this chance to have this learning
experience on Earth and like, everything around

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us is something that we can take and you know,
try to make our communities better try to

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make ourselves better as people.

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I don’t know, I try to hold onto that.

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It’s easy to forget, sometimes.

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The #Youva team, Zeno and I are grateful to
play a role in informing the UVA community

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and helping everyone get through a semester
unlike any other.

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Zeno also wants me to tell you “It’s all
about the vibes man.”

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And, no, I have no idea what he is talking
about.

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Make sure to check out the YOUva team on Instagram
or email us at YOUva at virginia.edu with

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questions, concerns, and good news.

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And stay tuned for Lighting of the Lawn – celebrating
its 20th anniversary this year.

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The show will be livestreamed at the link
on your screen, starting at 7 p.m. Eastern

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time.

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It will also be available to watch later.

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Some parting words by Dr. Maya Angelou: “As
we express our gratitude, we must never forget

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that the highest appreciation is not to utter
words, but to live by them.”

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Thank you for listening.

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This is Nia Augustine and see you all next
year.