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Feb 14, 2026
Building Belief One Conversation at a Time
Before anything begins on a starting line, it begins in conversation. For the past two months, I have been carrying an idea into rooms and sitting down with people one by one.
The Endless 5K started as a conversation within the Residential College Coalition. At its core, it is an endurance-style running challenge, paired with a cross-community fair, live performances, and a fundraising effort supporting PHAR in recognition of the housing crisis and its impact on student life. But the idea itself is only a small part of the story. What matters more is how it is received.
I have spent much of the Spring semester meeting with student leaders, administrators, partners, and organizations across Grounds and in Charlottesville. I have walked into governance meetings, sustainability discussions, sponsor conversations, and informal gatherings. Sometimes I am presenting to thirty people. Sometimes I am sitting across from one. In each case, the goal is the same. To listen carefully. To explain clearly. To answer honestly. And to share why I believe this event matters.
When you ask others to support something bold, you are not simply asking for funding or a logo on a flyer. You are asking them to trust you. You are asking them to believe that the idea is worth their time, energy, and name. That kind of belief cannot be rushed. It must be built in person—by showing up not for yourself, but for them.
One moment that has stayed with me was presenting to Brown Residential College’s Govboard. I shared the vision and the reasoning behind it, and they voted unanimously to support the initiative. What struck me most was what happened afterward. The conversation kept going. People were asking questions, building on ideas, imagining how the event might unfold. That sense of shared ownership is what makes something begin to feel real.
As of now, the Endless 5K has brought together more than a dozen confirmed co-sponsors and partners from all across UVA and Charlottesville. Each partnership represents a relationship that took time to form.
What this process has reminded me is that leadership is not about convincing people. It is about inviting them into something meaningful and being willing to stand behind it fully. It is about showing up, again and again, even when the details are still coming together.
The marketing launch is still ahead. Though there is much left to finalize, something important has already formed: a coalition of people who believe in this vision.
More soon.