Going to college is easily one of the scariest points in a young persons life, but we are not doing it alone. Depending on your school there is probably some hundred or some thousand new students just like you. All of these new classmates cannot all have the same interests as you but all of them do have something they are really passionate about or something that they want to become more involved in. Some how and some where throughout the four (or so) years, you and your colleagues will find your place on campus and this place becomes your community and your rock for all of those rough college years.
Whether your community is a sports team, a religious group, the chemistry club, the group of people who just want to create art together, a band, the debate team, a sorority or fraternity, or simply just your group of friends that lived on the same floor your freshman year, it doesn't matter and you can have more than one community that you're a part of because we are definitely not one-sided people. That is one of the amazing things about college, we all have our own stuff. Everyone is coming together from different places and different walks of life and it is crazy how connected you can feel with others who may have seemed so different.
I am so happy that I was able to find my place and I want to say thank you to all of my communities on campus. Thank you to the groups that took me in when I was lost during my first few years of college. Thank you for being there for me even during the times when we weren't doing our usual group activities, like when I needed someone to join me for a lovely (disgusting) meal at the dining hall or when I decided that I needed to spend the $8 on a Chipotle burrito (instead of the half-edible campus food). Thank you for helping me to create friendships that will last a lifetime. As well as helping me to meet mentors that I can always call for help. Thank you for bringing so many new opportunities into my life.Thank you for showing me that everyone has different ways of living a beautiful life. Thank you for allowing me to be myself while also transforming me into a well-rounded and knowledgeable individual. Thank you for bringing the adult side of me out and helping me to grow up (in the most fun way possible).
You were and still are the best part of my college experience. What am I saying, you are the reason I have this college experience that most people long for. As the years go on and as I leave college, I hope that you never stop bringing people in. I hope that others will find their home away from home the way that I did.
