There is something that needs to be said to the people that have been my friends during my college career. You are great. I’ve learned, listened, and laughed with you.

To those friends that I met and ended up letting go during college, whether it was because of uncontrollable circumstances or because our paths just drifted apart, I have to thank you. There are a few people that come to mind, and I’m sure as you read this, a few will come to your mind too. There was a time in my life when I would look at these friends as a negative thing, but then I realized, these people served their purpose in my life. Whether it was big, small, meaningful, or meaningless, they taught me that it’s okay to let friends go, or to let them drift further away than you want them to.

To those friends that studied something completely different than me, thank you. Thank you for accepting me into your friend group, into your life, and for not making me feel like what I am studying is less important than yours. It’s sad that sometimes our generation still feels the need to degree-shame. We get enough degree-shaming from older generations.

To those friends that attended my yoga classes in support of me, thank you. I can’t tell you what it was like to begin teaching and to be nervous about getting in front of 20-30 students each week. Seeing familiar faces in front of me, it made me feel like I could do anything.

To those friends that have changed my perspective on different things, thank you.

This is clear, a change in perspective is sometimes obvious but also necessary in order to remove ourselves from a rut or from a bad day. But also, these perspectives have helped me to relate to the people around me more than I already could. People of different backgrounds, people with different struggles, but also people that face the same challenges that I do.

To those friends that I will say goodbye to at graduation and probably not see much of later in life, thank you. You have served a purpose in my life and I have no doubts that our paths will cross again one day.

To those friends that I have kept in my life for a solid four years, thank you. You have taught me that college can bring more than just a “four-year-friend.” I know now that lifetime friends are out there.