Being the first person from my high school to come to Pomona College, I didn’t know anyone coming in. I was scared at first, but the fear went away with the amazing friends I have made so far.
The Pomona community was super welcoming from day one and it was very easy to make friends. I was privileged to be part of the High Achievement Program (HAP) cohort the summer before my freshman year, getting to come to Pomona for four weeks and take part in research and take preparatory English and math classes. Then orientation came and the actual school year started and I made more friends through the Orientation Adventure (OA) and through my sponsor group (the people living in the same hall as me). This is a thank you to all you.
To those from HAP, thank you for sharing my unique experience coming into college. We all struggled at Pomona before most of our classmates, but this program changed my life. HAP wouldn’t have been the same experience if it wasn’t for everyone in the cohort and Pomona wouldn’t have been the same for me without HAP. We met people from other cohorts and we all took the same STEM classes, making our bond even stronger. Whether we may talk on a regular basis or not, I still remember you. Thank you for being my friends from day one.
To those from my OA, Goeun, one of and my favorite trip leader, told me recently that our friendship was like a fairytale. Apparently, it is rare for first-years to make such good friends on OA. You guys were the newest friends I made coming into the school year at Pomona. From June Lake to going on trips to Los Angeles, to museums, out to dinner, playing FIFA or just chilling on Saturday nights, these are memories that will stay with me forever. You guys are some of my best friends and I want to thank you for making my transition into the school year much easier.
To my sponsor group, I want to thank you all the most. It was hard to be good friends with everyone in our SpoGro because of the size, but I would like to say that I was friends with a lot of you. You dealt with and stayed by my side through the best and worst parts of the year for me. Our endless laughter, hallway conversations, video game nights, parties and obsession with Domino’s pizza made B2B the amazing sponsor group it was. I can honestly say that I will miss living in the same hallway with you guys and hope that we stay in touch, no matter how spread out we may be across south campus.
To the upperclassmen who I had the privilege of meeting, you were an inspiration to me. You offered me advice and help when you barely knew me. Some of you have just graduated and I will miss you and I wish you the best. To those I will continue to see this upcoming year, I hope you continue to shower me with your wisdom.
My first year at Pomona would’ve been incredibly hard if it wasn’t for the amazing community that welcomed me and the incredible friends that I made throughout the course of the year. Thank you all for what you’ve done. Whether big or small, you all made a positive impact on my life, and for that, I thank you. Thank you to my Pomona family.
