Dear Senior,

If you are reading this, you're probably as nervous as I am. But, you made it. Your last first day of school...ever. You're not exactly sure how to feel. Happy, excited, sad, petrified all leading up to that day your parents have been dreaming of. They have the picture frame waiting for the one where you get your degree. You're not done just yet, but you feel the pages of your chapter are flipping faster than ever before.

You flash back to orientation, remembering meeting your very first group of college friends. Remember how big this place felt? Now, it just feels like second nature to hike from Penfield to Whipple. The buildings you've walked by every day for the past four or more years, stop feeling like just buildings. You look at them as if they are memories. Passing through the Student Union, thinking about all the laughs you had before class with your friends. You walk into the library, with your Starbucks in hand, cracking a joke about that horrible, tragic breakdown before you realized, maybe Phycology just wasn't for you. You head into the quad remembering your first student activity day, where you were introduced to Greek Life. You helplessly smile, thinking how badly you wanted to wear those purple letters. As you stand at the opposite side of the table now, you look to the potential new members. You tell them how this school doesn't just feel like a place to you.

Was it the best four years of your life? It was filled with so many great moments that you will cherish forever. But I won't settle for this being the best that it gets.

Don't get me wrong, my college experience was nothing shy of memorable. But, looking back at that time where we were all squeezed into that little table at Antonio's. As we munched on our pizza, we went around talking about what we wanted to do with our lives. The boys all talked about running a business, building their dream house and teaching special education, while we discussed traveling and wanting to see the world. And me? Whatever I end up doing, I want to continue writing.

We will leave a legacy here. In some way shape or form, we will never just be a face on the composite. The newbies will point and ask who we were, just as we did. And with all hopes, someone will share the stories of how we made this place our home.

It still is. We still have these last few months to make the story people will share about us. It's up to us to create just exactly how the story will go. How hard we worked to grow from being that freshman who tripped into the bushes that night on Halloween-- to becoming a leader and making a real difference. It's up to us to end our story with being the dude who played every girl in school, or the one who finally fell for someone. Don't let your story end with just being in the background of things. Work hard, have fun and embrace every second of it. Go out there and make a story worth telling.

Remember, you are ending a chapter. A great chapter filled with so many accomplishments. Whatever way you end it, make sure it's one that you are proud of. But, it's just a chapter. Your story is only beginning and I have a feeling it's going to be a best seller.

You can do this. Congratulations, I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

A senior, ready to make her mark the world ... as soon as she graduates