As summer is winds down, I am starting to realize that I have only one more year as a student at Saint Mary’s College. One more year of our beautiful little campus, one more year of Notre Dame football games, one more year of our adorable events and amazing professors, but most importantly, only one more year of spending every day with the strongest and kindest women you could ever find. Women I call my sisters.

I remember “Meet Me at The Avenue” like it was yesterday. On that cold March day in 2014, my dad and I pulled onto The Avenue and I was terrified. I had not yet decided I would go so Saint Mary’s but I wanted all the girls I met to like me, and I wanted to make the best impression I could on the administrators. Though the icebreakers were pretty awkward I ended up sitting next to a great girl and we immediately started babbling about everything, namely the show “The Walking Dead. ” It was extremely comforting to get a glimpse into the wonderful kinds of people I would meet at SMC, and I was able to find that although I’m not from the Midwest, Saint Mary’s was really for everyone.

That weekend I watched girls talk about their passion behind their decision to come to SMC in the fall. They talked about how their moms and/or relatives attended and how it has been a dream of theirs all of their lives. I honestly didn’t understand. How could this tiny all-women’s college be that amazing? I listened and was convinced that there must be something special about Saint Mary’s, however even then I had no idea the strength and the love this school was going to leave me with.

More than three years later I am a different person. Once shy and insecure, Saint Mary’s has made me out going and confident in my academic and social lives. My leaning disability was no match for Saint Mary’s professors and my insecurities didn’t stand a chance when all around me strong women were simply being themselves and showed me how to do the same.

Small classrooms and brave women have made me ready to take one any challenge life might throw at me. And although I know I will be prepared to be successful after I leave in the spring, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be ready to.

I go into this last year with intent to take in every moment. To go hard with my fellow Belles and to always go home, because it is right down The Avenue.

My sisters in the class of 2018, let's take as many ring pics as possible and let's kill it this year!