To the Class of 2017,

Whether you are preparing for your last or second-to-last semester of college, this is your year. This is the year that you walk across the stage and receive an extremely, expensive piece of paper. This is the year you move your tassel from student to alumnus. This is the year you are thrown into the real world, and leave the academic life that you have grown comfortable with during the last sixteen years of your life. This is the year that you may need to move back in with your parents or go apartment hunting. This is the year that may test all of your patience and determination. But guess what? This is your year.

You have already completed at least six semesters of undergraduate courses which probably has you drained and mentally checked-out. Now, you are resting and enjoying your last (unless you are an education major) Winter break, and are preparing for your internship, senior seminar, or student teaching. The most important thing to remember is, finish strong in 2017. You can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and do not want to catch a case of 'Senioritis' this close to the finish line.

It is common for all of you to have had some obstacles during your undergraduate years. The obstacles could have been a combination of: personal, financial, social, physical, mental, academic or all of the above, but most likely you have overcome an obstacle while attending college. More than likely, obstacles occurred during each semester, and no matter the severity of the issue, you have overcame or dealt with it, while also being a full-time student. Your determination and dedication to the field that you are pursuing has been your guide through some of the toughest times. The many late nights spent writing a Psychology research paper, finishing a Biology lab report, tirelessly working on an audit, or completing the endless amounts of reports for Special Education, it was all worth it. And if it does not seem like it has been worth it, it will when the Dean calls your name in May or December of 2017.

This is the year that your cap will be decorated and you will thank the people who helped you get to this point on social media (remember to thank them in person as well). This is the year that you walk around campus and soak in every last detail of the Academic Quad and your favorite spot to get coffee with friends. This will be the semester, or two, that flies by and will mean the most. This is the year that you will think about all that you have experienced at school, and what you have yet to try. During your last four or eight months of undergrad, promise yourself to take every opportunity to make new memories and experience all that your college and town has to offer.

In one year from now, you will be a college graduate (hopefully) and may even have a full-time job. Remember that if things do not go as planned, there is always room for revisions and new plans.

Congratulations, Class of 2017. This our year.