Well, there it is. I have officially experienced my last first day of school after 16 years of education. I've been working my way up to this moment since I was in elementary school. No more first day of school pictures with my backpack over my shoulder. To all the parents, you probably feel old hearing this and you have permission to start crying now. I will definitely be joining you the day I walk across the stage on the quad. I can't believe that I am a senior in college already. These past three years have flown by so incredibly fast and now we're at the end of the road.

It hasn't hit me yet that we're the oldest class on campus now and the freshmen are looking up to us and analyzing us. I remember being a scared little freshman and thinking the seniors were so grown up and feeling so intimidated by them. Now, we're in their shoes, saying hi to everyone we pass by on the quad who we've met over the last three years. We're the ones making plans for our futures that we worked so hard to prepare for. This time next year I could possibly be starting my first full- time job. How crazy!!!!!

Being a senior in college holds a high level of status. In high school, we were still young even though we were seniors. We were the leaders of our sports teams, clubs, and organizations. We couldn't wait to move on to the new adventures of college life. Now, as seniors in college, we've figured it all out. We are still the leaders but more importantly, we will do anything to stay in the moment. We don't want to think about leaving the amazing places we have called home for 4 years before venturing off into the real world on our own.

It's crazy to think that three years ago, I was worrying about what classes I was going to take, where I would tailgate before a football game, what sorority I wanted to be in, who I was going to eat dinner with, etc. Fast forward and now I'm worrying about fitting all of my classes into my schedule before May, where I'm going to live after college, what kind of job I'll have, how much money I'll make, where my friends will live, whose bridesmaid I will be, etc.

Since I'm already feeling nostalgic, my plan this year is to not only try to figure out what my life will look life after I leave this amazing place I call home but to also do and see as much as I can before I leave. Senior year is all about making that final set of lasting memories that you will carry with you for the rest of your life and still be talking about in your 80s. Even though this year is the year of "lasts," we have to live in the moment and appreciate everything. Before we know it, we'll be stressing about how to design our grad caps and what we'll be wearing underneath our purple gowns.

Go Class of 2019 and Go Dukes!!!