To all graduates past, present and future,

Congratulations you made it to college! Totally ready to take on the next four years that high school did not prepare you for whatsoever. But that’s okay. Every mistake made for a better lesson. It seems like just yesterday we were moving into our freshman year dorm waiting desperately with anticipation to see what your room would be like and what your random assigned roommates were going to be like. Unboxing everything slowly because you knew as soon as you were done your parents would be leaving and you would be left to figure out everything yourself. Freshman year involved a lot of finding your place and learning how to be independent. Frankly the parties out ruled the studies this year, which if you are going to slack off one year let it be this one because before you know it you are sophomore.

Sophomore year came and we were ready. We had a year under our belts and felt as if we had things all figured out by now. Every weekend was a party because we were still underclassmen with not a worry in sight. We made sure this year was even better and crazier than the first and we succeeded.

Blink twice and you are an upperclassmen. Ah yes…junior year, where you find yourself living off campus and having to really figure out what you are doing with your life. This year involved a lot of growing up time, a few mental breakdowns, and a couple of questionable drop out moments. But don’t worry somehow you’ll still manage to go out and have a good time and make it through the year.

Look at you now. A senior in college about to graduate with everything figured out. Well, at least for the most part. A year filled with even more mental breakdowns and even more partying to try to forget about out all the mental breakdowns. This year is truly the icing on the cake of this four-year adventure.

College wasn’t a fairytale every day; I'd be lying if I said it was. There are tough times whether be in class, or in your social life. And when those times come they hit you hard. You’re not in the comfort of your own home, you don’t have your friends from back home who would know exactly what to say, or your dog to pet because they make everything better. The downs are downs and the highs are highs. College isn’t all about learning academically what you are going to do with your life. It’s the positives and negatives outside of the classroom that you experience everyday that forms who you are by the time you walk across that stage at commencement. These are the lessons you can’t learn in a lecture, find in a textbook, or scribbled in your notes. Sometimes living and learning is some of the best lessons college can offer you.

On the other hand the highs are very high, and will leave a mark on us for the rest of our lives. I hope when looking back you remember these magical times. All the times you found yourself the happiest, laughing until it hurt, drowned in love, showered in positive vibes, let them become your “happy place” and remind you of what is now going to be considered the “the good ole days.”

These four years sure go by fast and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I wouldn’t change the roommates I had because they became my best friends and future bridesmaids. I wouldn’t change all the other friends I made because they became the brothers and sisters that formed my family away from home. I wouldn’t change all the painful hangovers, because they made for some of the best nights. I wouldn’t change all the things I thought were stupid, because they made for the most valuable lessons. I wouldn’t change all the stressful times, and long library days because it got me to pass my classes, and in the end graduate.

Soon, we are about to be walking away from what is said to be the best four years of our lives. We will walk away with a degree, a degree that nobody can take away from us. (Congratulations again, you earned it!) You will also be walking away with more wisdom, more life experience, and more stories to share with the world. All those times being mentally, physically, and emotionally sick of it all, becomes worth it. So as we enter our last stretch of senior year, embrace every moment. Spend time with your friends every chance you get. Make your resume. Thank your parents. Take pictures. Apply to jobs. Party like you are a freshman again. Finish strong and live it up.

Cheers to all graduating, may the next chapter in your life be an even more incredibly impactful adventure. Fight for that person, place, or thing you believe in. Make your dreams come true and make your mark on the world simply amazing.

I guess all that’s left to say is the big haunting question we have all been avoiding to answer…”now what?”