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Vicke Davis is a celebrity at the Tempe, Arizona, campus of Barrett, the honors college of Arizona State University. For the last three years, she’s kept tabs on each one of her “Barrett babies,” asking about their classes, vacations, and love lives. “Everyone knows her,” junior Alysa McCormick said. “She remembered my name before I remembered her name.”
Before their most recent winter break, student Quinn Woods asked Davis where she’d like to go on a dream vacation. Without hesitation, she said she’d like to see the Northern Lights in Canada. Davis once heard that if you sing or whistle to the bright bands in the night sky, they’ll dance for you.
Over winter break, Woods started a GoFundMe page to make Davis’ dream come true. More than 1t0 students donated, surpassing their goal of $2,000 for the trip to Canada by almost $500. The students also bought her a camera to take pictures of the adventure. When the students “bum-rushed” Davis’ cash register to present her with an oversize check, she couldn’t believe it. Davis was so elated she hugged what looked like every student in the cafeteria. “Thank you, Lord. I love you guys,” she said in a student interview, but part of her didn’t want to take the money. “Each one of them is gonna get a whooping. They could use that money on themselves,” Davis said. “Y’all spoil me, but y’all my favorite babies and you know it.”
People like Davis show that the heart and soul of an institution isn’t always the dean or the president, but the caring, energetic people who make our schools, offices, and neighborhoods feel more like home. Every day, Davis gave joy and love to her “Barrett babies,” and these appreciative students found a great way to give it back.
(H/T AZCentral)
