As a long time lurker with the occasional post, I wanted to share (once again) with my VS family some news and thoughts about why the VS is so awesome (as if you don't already know). First a brief review....

I found the VS somewhat by accident nearly 2 decades ago. Realizing very quickly that this was no ordinary internet sports board community, I made the VS a regular part of my gator news diet. I would check in from time to time to learn what fellow gators thought about various issues related to UF football. I discovered quickly however, that this site covers more than just football. It was a place to come and have a little fun "talking about stuff" and was always good for a laugh from the many fine story tellers who post here. Over time I began to feel a connection with the regular contributors and started to post a little here and there. It was a great diversion from the stresses of everyday life.

Then, my life changed drastically. At the beginning of my 3rd year of a doctoral program at another university, I suddenly found myself facing a divorce and the end of my studies. Realizing that there seemed to be a lot of lawyers that posted on this board, I sought some advice. What I received was an outpouring of compassion and assistance from my fellow VSers that helped me through one of the darkest periods of my life. You'd think that is enough to make my case...but wait...there is more. While posting to the VS for advice, a former professor of mine (BabySister) was able to deduce who I was and contacted me. She encouraged me to come back to school and provided me with guidance and the information I needed to secure funding and return to UF.

I now find myself nearly 7 years later at the end of that journey. On July 2, I successfully defended my dissertation and will be walking proudly across the stage this August as a fully-fledged "Product of the system" completing my 3rd degree (4th if you count the AA) received from the University of Florida. In addition, about 30 minutes ago, I formally accepted a position to teach at the University of Illinois.

If it were not for the existence of the VS and the atmosphere created by all the great people who frequent it, I would never have asked for help and the odds of my return to UF would have been nearly zero. Never underestimate the power of this community to positively impact peoples lives in significant and consequential ways. I will be forever grateful to the creators of the VS and the people who support it.