I remember always dreaming about college and imagining what it would look like. I anticipated freshman year of college since about 7th grade and imagined how amazing it would be and what wonderful and exciting things would happen. Now, here it is at the end of my freshman year and it's over. It is hard to believe that I will never get this year back, and the long-awaited freshman year has been completed. And while I am sad that it is over, and yet excited for the future years, all I can really think about was how wonderful this year was and all I am grateful for.

Thank you for the countless new faces. Never in a period of my life have I met so many people with different backgrounds. Whether we only said hi one time, or met awkwardly at some function or another, or maybe we still say hi every time we see each other, I am so grateful for all the new people that I can say I know. Each new person I have met has been an opportunity to meet people with new backgrounds and learn even more how each person is a new story. Thank you, freshman year, for all the many new faces.

Thank you for the new knowledge. I had always heard that college would be about enlightenment and knowledge, but I deep down assumed I already knew everything. This year has shown me that I, in fact, do not know everything and surprisingly know only very little. I am grateful for the different lessons I have learned inside and outside the classroom and cannot wait for more.

Thank you for the challenges. Freshman year was not only happy times. It was full of transitions, of grieving, of saying goodbye within so many hellos, of figuring out who I want to be and who I am, trying to feel known in a time of such unknowns, and adjusting to a new normal. Thank you for the hard times, thank you for the 1 a.m. tears, the late-night calls home, and the moments of uncertainty because it was in those times that I grew and realized how strong I am and can be.

Thank you for the memories. From late night walks to Taco Bell, to waking up 15 minutes before a final exam, this year brought with it countless laughs, unforgettable nights, and memories I will treasure forever. I always dreamed what Freshman year would be like but had no idea it would be better than I ever imagined. Thank you for the new friends that mean so much to me, for all the love I've learned to give myself and others, and the knowledge that there is still so much more to come.

Freshman year may be done, but I am so excited that college is not!