Dear Senior Me,

CONGRATULATIONS!! You made it! All of the nights you spend studying until 3 AM, the stressful days of exams and presentations, the excitement and heartbreak experienced while attending the basketball games, the moments when you felt so homesick and upset that you did not think you would make it to this very day, and most importantly, the moments when you made some of the greatest memories with your friends--all of this added up to where you are sitting today.

Look around you--look at the faces of your peers that you had the honor to meet and come to know over the past four years. Many of these students are off to bigger and better things, just as you are, and together you are closing the door on your childhood and opening the door to the opportunities to come; this moment, right here and right now, is the last time you will all be together as the Class of 2019. Smile at all you have accomplished and experienced as a class, and take a moment to breathe, relish in the moment, and truly appreciate this time.

Look up into the crowd--try to spot your family and, if you do, really watch them for a second. Look at how proud your parents are, watching their girl take a step forward from one exciting chapter of her life to the next and wondering where the time went. If you thought that the time flew by for you, just imagine how fast it went for them; one minute you were the little girl falling asleep at the window with her helmet on waiting for her daddy to come home from work, the next you are a young adult about to begin life with a real job in the real world. They were there for you every step of the way, acting as your backbone as you matured and transformed into the young woman that you are today. They were always your number one supporters, whether it was in your extracurricular activities, academic goals, or personal endeavors, and they will remain by your side for the rest of your life no matter what. Make sure you take the time to thank them for that.

This moment, this celebration that you are about to experience, is going to fly by almost as fast as your college experience did. Before you know it you will be beginning your new job, interacting with new people, and exploring the world through wherever your experiences take you. You will become successful in your endeavors, meet the love of your life, start a family and go on adventures that will change you for better and for worse. These future experiences are ones to greatly look forward to, and I hope that you are as anxious and excited as ever. However, before you say your final goodbyes, walk through the Quad one final time as a student and prepare to move on to the next chapter of your life, I want you to reflect on the past four years that you spent at the place you now call home.

Do you remember the first night you spent at college? Not the night when you knew your parents were still here, but the first night that you were really alone. That was rough for you. This was your first time spending more than a night away from home--from your family--and it was different than you ever would have expected. You spent the night looking at the freshly hung pictures of you and your best friends and family on your wall, wondering what they were up to and missing them tremendously. And yes, you cried.

You felt the strangeness of college way harder than you every would have expected to. You did not realize how different it would be not knowing anyone on your floor or in your building, and this was hard for you. However, you quickly learned to step out of your comfort zone, and the transition became much easier after that. You became involved in various activities and took risks that you never would have taken in the past. The unknown was terrifying then, and it most likely will be for the rest of your life; however, I want you to always remember the girl who struggled on her first night of college, and look at where you are sitting today, and know that the future will bring great opportunities and challenges for you.

The night before the first day of classes, you sat in your dorm with some of your newly acquired friends from your hall, anxiously reviewing your syllabuses and mentally preparing for your first class the following morning. Your door was open, and a girl from down the hall stopped by and asked if anyone watched the Bachelor (which none of you did at the time), but after talking you discovered that she would be in your first class next the next day and decided to walk together. Well, guess what: that girl who you split a bagel with your first day of school became your study buddy, your best friend and, most importantly, your person. It's funny how the world works like that. Your very first week you were lucky enough to find someone who you could trust with your life, and over the years you encountered more people just like this. But she always was, and always will remain, your day one best friend and your number one supporter, and you should be grateful for that.

To finish, I have some important questions for you to consider as you reflect on your college experience:

Were you able to follow your heart, your passions and your dreams? Or did you shy away from opportunity in fear of failure or rejection?

Were you true to yourself and proud to be who you are? Or did you fear the judgments and thoughts of others too much to show your true colors?

Did you get involved and remain active in the community?

Did you stand up for what you believe in and remain true to your morals?

And finally...

Did you always do your best to make people feel the best that they could?

I hope you can answer these questions without regrets, that you studied too hard, had a little too much fun, ate WAY too many Zilly Fries, and slept more than you thought was physically possible--but, most importantly, I hope that you had the time of your life doing it.

Congrats! You did it.

Love,

Present Day Me