Hello fellow bears! The Spring 2017 semester has come to a close (finally) and most of us have probably said goodbye to our beautiful campus for the time being. First of all, I would like to congratulate all those who just graduated, you're going to do great things! As for the rest of us, we've got roughly three months until we return to our home away from home. While I am thrilled to be back in my home town, I am also sad to be away from Missouri State University. I can honestly say that this past year has been the best of my life, and my time at Missouri State and all its wonderful bears are to blame.

The first group of bears that I am sad to leave are my wonderful sorority sisters. If you're in a sorority or fraternity then you know exactly why this is so hard. We go from having so many friends in one area and then summer comes and we spread out all over Missouri and maybe even further. As a sophomore I had the incredible opportunity to live in a mansion with over 50 girls. With over fifty friends living under one roof, there was always someone to do something with. When I had a sweet tooth there was someone willing to get ice cream with me or run to Krispy Kreme just because the hot n ready sign was on (did you know there's an app that tells you when it's on?!). When I had a random burst of energy there were girls who wanted to have a dance party, whether that be in the bathrooms, a bedroom, the dining room, or even on the front lawn. If I needed to get down to business I could always count on someone to go to the library with me. If I had a sudden inspiration to be healthy and actually exercise, I had sisters to work out with. And lastly, anytime I was stressed or sad about whatever it may be, I had an endless amount of shoulders to lean on. Whether I was homesick or stressed about an advising appointment, I had sisters at every corner that I could turn to. Essentially, having this group of sisters (or brothers, or any group of friends) living in the same area (especially if you're all under one roof) provides us with people that we can do absolutely anything and everything with. With the spring semester officially at an end and summer here, the time to say goodbye has come. Sisters, thank you for helping me have the best year of my life so far!

The second group of bears that I will dearly miss this summer are my fellow bears over at the Catholic Campus Ministry. If you're involved at CCM or any other religious organization on campus, then I am sure you will agree with me when I say that these people who are involved in our respective organizations are incredibly hard to leave for the summer. I realize I was really only involved at CCM in the spring semester, but I can honestly say I grew more in that semester than I ever would have thought possible, and it's thanks to all the students involved at CCM. These people are the kindest, most welcoming and caring people I have ever met. In getting to know these people, I have become inspired by each and every one of them to deepen my faith. I now have a community of friends in which I can praise Jesus and talk openly about my faith with. These friends also hold me accountable and encourage me to be the best version of myself, the person that God has created me to be. This semester I was introduced to the idea that we are to strive for sainthood, and we need a group of people to do that with. My friends at CCM are the ones that will not only strive for sainthood themselves, but push me toward it as well. This summer will be challenging for anyone involved with a religious organization in that we might not have these awesome people to be physically present as we continue to seek a deeper relationship with Christ. However, at least for myself, these friends have impacted my life so deeply that I will refuse to give up. To anyone striving to deepen their faith, don't let this summer be a stopping point! And to my fellow Catholic bears, thank you for your constant inspiration and encouragement, I will miss you all this summer but I look forward to seeing all your happy faces in the fall!

Missouri State University, thank you for providing me with the people who changed my life. It is here that I have found my home away from home. Or, to be even cheesier, it is here that I found my passion, and found my place. As always, go bears!