Dear college students graduating in 2020,

If nobody else has told you already, I am so proud of you because I know exactly how you feel. I am going to be one of those students walking across the stage in a few short months to grab the college diploma that I have cried, laughed, and stressed over for the past few years. There have been times when I thought the day would never come. We have endured the class from hell, the professor from hell, and the group project from hell, and we have only come out stronger. Despite everything that has been thrown at us, we have managed to maintain our grades, keep a part-time or full-time job, joined multiple clubs or organizations, tried to keep our friendships alive and multiple other things.

In college, we have gone through some of the best times and some of the worst times. Some of us have buried someone we love. Some of us have spent some days wondering if anyone loves us. Some of us have laughed until our stomachs hurt. Some of us have been so stressed that we forget to eat for days. Some of us have met our best friends. Some of us have lost our best friends. Some of us are celebrating a new life in the family. Some of us never got the support of our family. No matter what avenue that you took to get to this moment, congratulate yourself because you are here and you are alive. Imagine Dragons said it best when they wrote, "The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell, right to the top." We are almost there. We are almost at the top of the mountain and the view from the top will be beautiful.

The only thing that stands between you and that diploma now is one semester of classes. This can either feel like the longest semester or the shortest semester yet. Either way, it is important to stay in the moment, stay focused, and don't lose sight of what you have worked so hard for. The ticket out is at our fingertips and we are ready to face whatever life has to throw at us. My fellow upcoming graduates, I am so utterly proud of you, and I only wish you the best as we finish another chapter in our life. Stay strong and end strong. Best of luck!