I remember my college orientation like it was yesterday. I had waited so long to step foot on a campus and have it feel like home, and I thought I had chosen a school for all the right reasons: it had an outstanding academic reputation, I had scholarship money that was following me there, the football team was one I had grown up cheering for, it was settled in the cutest little college town and all of it was conveniently only a short drive from home so I could get back in time for a home cooked meal if I needed it. And as I started my first year of college, I always had people back home asking me about Athens. They wanted to know how much I loved football games or how good the social scene was or which boutiques were my go-to’s to shop in after eating at a local favorite. I loved talking about it too because there really isn’t anything quite like a Saturday in Athens and a late morning bite at Mama’s Boy.

But as my time at UGA has gone on, I’ve started answering everyone’s questions a little bit differently. Instead of just talking about how exciting a football game was, I can’t help but tell my family back home about the friends I went with, and how much fun we had just being together. It’s no longer just about the fun new restaurants, but about the people that share their life with me over brunch. Ringing the bell is about more than the accomplishment you're celebrating; it’s about embracing the moment with the roommate you dragged along to take your picture.

If I’ve learned anything in my time at UGA (OK, I’ve actually learned a lot, Mom and Dad), it’s that this university and this town is about so much more than just being a cool place: it’s all about people. During my time at UGA I’ve met people that challenge me, encourage me and push me to be better. I’ve stayed up until the early hours of the morning having heart to hearts with people I didn’t even know a year ago and climbed water towers with strangers who became my best friends. Random faces on Thursday nights have turned into friends I couldn’t imagine my life without and the same people that stand beside me in the stands at Sanford are ones I want standing beside me for years after my time at UGA is up and I’ve finally walked through the Arch.

So here’s to the people that have laughed, cried over a heartbreaking overtime loss, stressed about grades and the future, danced, road tripped, eaten way too much, stayed up too late and celebrated every single little moment with me. Y’all have turned this town into a home and I couldn’t imagine my lives without each and every one of you. And to the freshmen going through orientation now and getting ready to make your mark on our campus this fall, just remember that there are going to be a million memories that you’ll make during your years here, but the best part of those memories will be the people experiencing them with you. So say yes to every game day, every late night, every social, date night and formal, every dinner date, every trip to an Athens landmark, every attempt to complete the Trifecta and every opportunity to make a memory with the people that make Athens home.