On a hot, August South Louisiana day, I had no idea what was to come. Back then, I never would have imagined that I could love a group of students as much as I love the University class I have had the privilege of mentoring. Everyone was a little awkward and a little shy; looking at them all now, I never would have imagined it was the same class. Although they may have not known it at the time, I was scared to death. I wanted to be loved and accepted by the group of students I would spend more than half a semester with. I felt that I had to be the perfect Peer Mentor and I could never fall short.

Since we are about to part ways, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the class that I have grown to love:

To my wonderful, amazing, outgoing, quirky, hilarious class,

To start, you guys are amazing. You amaze me in every way. You are so intelligent. You have a thirst for knowledge. You want to be challenged (and when you felt that you weren't, you definitely let me know) in multiple ways. You want to change the world and I am so glad that I got to be a part of helping you become the best version of yourself.

I.will.miss.you. I know that none of us will miss waking up for the 8 A.M. class. However, I know that so many of you have expressed that you really will miss the class because of the bond you've made with your classmates. I'll miss the loud outbursts of laughter, learning about you through the class assignments, the questions you asked that challenged me to think and all of the times you laughed at my (awful) jokes.

As your Peer Mentor, the greatest thing I wanted (and still want) for you is to fall in love with our university. I wanted you to make friendships that will last you the remainder of your years. I wanted you to believe in yourself and have fun! When you guys cut up in our group chat, spend time together outside of class, and participate in university events, I know that every single one of my hopes and dreams for y'all are being accomplished.

You guys made me a better and more motivated student and leader. You pushed me to rise above every challenge I was faced with. You laughed with me, you shared your thoughts with me and you, selflessly, thought of me when I was going through difficult times.

You taught me to go above and beyond for others, to be selfless, to be fearless, to be bold and courageous. Being your Peer Mentor was an experience that I wouldn't change for the world. It was something that started out simply as "a way to get more involved" and has now become something that breaks my heart to lose.

I want you to know that you will always have a friend in me. When you fall, I will always be there to pick you up. Whether you need a "pick me up" because you've had a bad day or week, or if you are struggling with a class later down the road, my responsibility to you as your Peer Mentor doesn't end here; it goes beyond this short time frame.

Thank you for making me realize I don't have to be "perfect" to make an impact, that I don't always have to say the right thing or look or act a certain way to be accepted. Thank you for the memories and the laughs. Thank you for being you, and for impacting my life and changing my heart.

There aren't enough words to describe how extremely proud I am of each and every one of you. I hope that you use the next 3 years to grow as an individual, a student, and most importantly, a leader.

With love,

your Peer Mentor.