Dear Graduating Class of 2019,

The end of your last semester is here; the end if your college career (at least your undergrad). In 2-3 weeks you will walk across that stage and when you do it will mark the end of the, arguably, best four years of your life. Right now I bet that you are both excited because you actually survived, and terrified because what are you supposed to do now? Whether you know what you are doing next or not, I know it is going to be something amazing.

As an underclassman, watching you go through your last year of college was inspirational, educational, sad, and memorable. You inspired me to be me and that doing what makes me happy will take me farther in life than anything else. You taught me that if I want to one day walk across that stage I have to work for it, it will not just be handed to me. You also helped me realize that I will probably have to make sacrifices in order to make it through; that there will be times that I will have to sit out on the fun things. As awesome as graduating is, part of me wishes you weren't.

I know things are going to be different and it makes me sad. Over the past two semesters, I have watched and experienced the bitter-sweet phenomenon of the "last." As the school year progressed all of the "last's" got sadder and sadder. On your last first day of school, we celebrated; when your last football game ended, we were sad; and when they played the last song at formal, we cried. The same moments that made us cry, were also the moments that were the most memorable. After all of the tears were wiped away, and we had a moment to breathe, we realized that these "last's" were markers of your success. All of these moments proved that you did it, you made it through college. You might not know how you did it, but you sure as hell did and THAT is something to be proud about.

I can't speak for anyone else but I am so beyond proud of you. I am sure your college career had ups and downs ( and lefts and rights tbh) but none of that matters now. You can find peace in knowing that all of the tears, all-nighters, and Major changes paid off because you are about to cross the finish line. I know that you think that you aren't ready for the 'real world', but I know you are.

So, when you graduate in a few weeks don't just walk across that stage strut across it!