As I helped with freshman move in this year I couldn't help but to think that I felt like I was just in their shoes yesterday. As I am grabbing random bags out of their vehicles, I try really hard not to listen to the new students fighting with their parents, I remember what a weird time this was for me.

When I was home the summer before my Freshman year of college, I could not contain my excitement to move away and dive into something completely new. I felt like I was ready to experience something different. However, when it was finally move in day, stress was high, and when my parents finally left, I was in a strange place with no one I knew. It all felt very different to me. I knew it was something I needed, but it was really strange being away from home and in a completely different setting. At first it felt weird to be out of my comfort.

When I think back to that time, I remember West Chester feeling so foreign to me. It grew to be a familiar place, and I have met so many amazing people here. Now when someone asks me what year I am, I have to think about it for a minute before realizing that I am a senior. It doesn't feel real to me but it also makes me really excited for what is to come in my future.

I don't want to rush this year away, and I want to also say that even though it feels strange to be a senior in college, it's very bittersweet. I want to make this year the best out of all four years I have been here. I've never realized how fast four years can go by until I was in college. I want to take it all in, be with the people that make me happy, and remember to enjoy every day that I was given here. It is crazy how much of impact a place can make on a person. West Chester has impacted me in many ways and I am so grateful to have been given the chance to live here for the four years I was presented with.

I feel so blessed to be able to attend such a beautiful university. I came here choosing West Chester because of its location and adorable town, but am I going to be leaving, come May with an amazing education, lifelong friends, and everlasting memories. The college experience is one that I will never forget. It is crazy how fast time goes by and it teaches me to just constantly cherish every moment. I have changed a lot in the past four years, but in a good way, even great way. I have grown a lot and I can proudly say that I have learned so much in these past four years, not just through education, but about myself, the world, and the others around me.