Dear Friends,

I just wanted to say how thankful I am for you all being placed into my life. College can certainly be a stressful time for everyone, and I don’t think I would’ve survived it without you all. Being a transfer student was definitely a challenge in and of itself, but you all made it so much easier for me. I came in to Keuka College last fall completely alone and scared. Living at home for the past two years while attending community college then coming to live in a dorm was definitely a shock. Thankfully, I met a solid group of friends that helped to change my whole perspective on what the whole college experience really was.

They always say that the friends you make in high school probably won’t stick around for long after you graduate, which is true for me, with the exception of a handful I still talk to and see during my summers and vacation. I am so grateful for them as well and love our quality time spent together at brunches, beach days, dinners, and wine nights.

The friends you meet in college are a little different though. In high school, you become friends because you’re in the same biology class or study hall. It’s not a bad thing, and there are some people I graduated with that I never even talked to simply because we never were in the same class. In college, you become friends because you have more of a direct choice. You become friends through similar likes, activities, dorm room placements, majors, teams, and clubs.

So a huge thank you to my college friends for welcoming me with open arms. Again, being a transfer student to a small private college is no easy task. All of the groups of friends are already formed, and I felt like a fish out of water walking around campus at times. Luckily, I met the best group of girls from playing softball. Joining the softball team was easily one of the best decisions I made, and I am so happy to say it gave me some of the best friends I will ever have.

Thank you for all of the laughs and even the cries. Thank you for listening to my deepest secrets, some of the things that no one else knows about me. I appreciate all of the advice that you have given me through some of the hardest times this past year. Thank you for helping me get through it all. Pizza, wine, pasta, and quesadillas are definitely comfort foods and thank you for introducing me to them. Screw salads.

Thanks for trying on 7XL sweatshirts with me, inviting me to carve pumpkins and making hair bows, and going grocery shopping for yogurt and chips n’ dip. Thank you for the car rides to Dunkin Donuts and to the softball field blaring Fetty Wap. A trip to Dunkin (even though our bank accounts were on the brink of zero) could always make a stressful day much better. Thank you for a memorable spring break trip to Virginia. Thank you for making my 21^st birthday memorable and making sure I made it back to my dorm safe and sound.

Simply, thank you for a wonderful year and the permanent mark you made in my life. I am so grateful that I met you all and hope we’re always in each others lives.

Love,

Brooke