My Senior Send Off
It’s that time of year again, the sun is out, birds are chirping, and all the leaves and flowers are in bloom. While it is one of my favorite times of the year because we get to barbecue and enjoy the beautiful weather, this year I cannot seem to enjoy it as much. Why you ask? Because every day I know graduation is one day closer and I am that much closer to having to say some tough goodbyes.
We’re filling out our Senior good-bye letters, we had our Senior Send-Off last night and everything is winding down very quickly. I can honestly say that it does not feel as though four years have already gone by. I thought the fall went quickly because I was always so busy with field hockey but this spring semester has been the fastest yet. I guess I can attribute that partly to my thesis occupying a lot of my time…yes I finally finished and presented it yesterday so I can now walk at graduation as a graduate of the Honors Program! Thank goodness! It is a time where you have to enjoy every last minute with your friends because as soon as graduation comes everything will be different.
Over my four years at Babson I have learned a great deal. I have learned about accounting, marketing, poetry, ethics, finance, investments, competition policy, and many other subjects. Despite taking away knowledge about these subjects, I am taking away so much more. Having studied abroad I now know that I can move throughout the world and adapt to different situations. I know that I have the capability to speak in front of hundreds of people without my voice trembling. I have grown to embrace change- something that used to be very tough for me. In an entrepreneurial place like Babson, we are expected to bring change and embody change. I now feel as though I have the capacity to make positive changes that impact people. Most importantly, I have learned so much about my friends. If you take nothing else away from high school or college or anywhere really, take your friends. You will look back and remember that you pulled all nighters but you’ll remember vividly who was there with you and who was bringing you a coffee the next day. You will remember the girls who hugged you as the final buzzer blew in a championship game, the score of the game might fade but that will be a lasting memory. The reality is that over the past four years I have grown to be an adult- a very scary thought. However, I am graduating with a great job that will allow me to travel, change, and grow as a person. I have a few pieces of advice to offer to you:
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Go abroad. It will be the best experience you can imagine, and in reality it will be better than all you dreamt it to be.
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Get involved. You meet so many interesting people through different activities, people that you would never have met otherwise and these are the people that will help change you to become a better person.
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Embrace change. Change is a good thing. As hard as it is during the time when everything is changing and you do not have two feet firmly planted on the ground, it is the best thing for you.
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Be yourself. This is one of the hardest parts of college because you are exposed to so many new and different things. If there is one thing you can do, it is to remain true to who you are. I am not saying you cannot change who you are and what you stand for but do so in a way that remains true to your core values. You want to be able to look yourself in the mirror every day and have no regrets.
Be proud of your achievements, push others to reach their potential, and help them along the way because one day someone will reach out and help you too.
In the wise words of Dr. Seuss, “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”
Best of luck in the future 🙂