An Open Letter to Dr. Hackman

February 24, 2016Dear Dr. Hackman,I am deeply saddened by the news of your passing. My heart breaks that your beautiful soul is gone from this earth, my heart breaks that your family is left with the void left by the man that you were, and selfishly, my heart breaks that I never got to know you any more than the few interactions that we had, but I am thankful for those few chances to get to know you that I did have.I remember the first time that I met you in the UCCS Honors Program. It was my first day at a real university. I was new to everything on campus, and I was frightened by the large place that is UCCS. You stood up in the big lecture hall in Centennial, and I remember thinking from that day on how calm and confident you were, and yet so inspirational. Your presence, and later discussions of leadership, calmed me and inspired me to become a leader on campus.When I took the plunge to participate on the UCCS Honors Symposium team, I was overwhelmed with the magnitude of the job at hand, and I was frightened to speak in front of so many people, although I never would have admitted it. Bailey and I practiced our speech for you in the Honors Lounge, and you offered encouragement and feedback to prepare us to succeed, and even though I was still nervous, I felt prepared because of the help that you gave us.During my first UCCS Lead session, I was unsure of what to expect. All I knew was that this was a program which promised to help me discover my personal leadership style, and that this would help me to impact my community with positive change. On that day, I learned that we shared the same Meyers-Brigg personality type, and I was inspired. I have often felt that as an introvert, my leadership capability is less than those who are extroverted. When I learned that someone as accomplished and talented as yourself shared the same personality type, and made such an impact on so many people, my college freshman self was encouraged that I too could do great things.So, thank you Dr. Hackman. Thank you for impacting my life through helping me to acclimate to this university, through making me a more confident speaker, and through allowing me to see that I could impact the world. Your inspirational, beautiful self will be deeply missed and grieved over. Goodbye, and thank you for all that you have done for myself and for others.Sincerely,Micah Radakovich