Every year the seniors on O-team talk about their experience at Siena and give advice to the freshman. Crazy to think that this year, it's my time to talk. So as I'm sitting here and planning what I want to say, I decided to turn my speech into an article. Don't worry, my speech won't be this long.

We are told to talk to the freshmen and give them advice, and when I was an underclassman, I always thought I'd tell them about how I joined O-team and found my friends, but after my mom having a stroke it changed what I wanted to talk about.

As a freshman, I really didn't have a problem transitioning. I was excited to be away and start my own new life, so when freshmen had difficulty being away from home I never truly knew how to sympathize or relate, until this year.

This year I now know how it feels to have a hard time leaving home. Leaving behind something that you feel you shouldn't be? Leaving behind people you should be helping? The feeling of guilt? I get that now.

I can be honest and say that that feeling doesn't really go away. You still feel like you should be there rather than here and you can still feel the gravitational pull to be at home, but there are things that make it better.

Get involved. Get into a club, plan some fun nights with friends, and just enjoy yourself. Immerse yourself in your new school. Your family wants you to go and enjoy yourself, so go. You are so lucky and blessed to have this opportunity, so go take it all in as much as possible.

Your family loves you and does miss you, but remember that you are here for a reason. Create a home around yourself. Being a senior now and have spent four years in this town and at this school home is now two places. This is home to me as well. My family here is my club and organization friends, my lacrosse team, and my roommates. Here is where you start to begin creating a new home for yourself.

Home where your family is and it will always be there and they will miss you, but you are on your own journey now. Create a life for you, this is all about you now. I never ever encourage being selfish, but be a little selfish. Join things that make you happy, do things that make you happy, and live a life that makes you happy.