Soon, a new school year semester begins again. It’s a time of new beginnings for many incoming students, especially the freshman. It is a new chapter of their life that they are starting, where everything is a different world. Everything they thought they knew before will slowly change and that can be a little scary at times. Some will travel only a few blocks down the road while others will leave behind everything they have ever known. They will come from all sorts of backgrounds, each with their own story to tell. Some will be excited for it, others will be nervous. Some will excitedly look for new friends, others will be too afraid to try on their own at first. That’s okay.

They will learn that sometimes life can get hard and stressful. They will learn that they can actually do things on their own. They will learn that everyday is a new adventure waiting to happen, even if it doesn’t seem like it. They will say goodbye to some, but welcome a whole new army of people. They will meet people from all over the world, each with cool stories to share. New foods, new cultures, new customs. Everything familiar will be turned upside down and sometimes that will shake the stable foundation they once knew, but in turn will learn to build their own stability. They will learn that they are not alone. They will learn that sometimes taking a step back is okay. They will learn that sometimes it’s okay to say you cannot, but that at the very least you need to try fighting. They will learn that they will be supported by people they never thought would. They will laugh and cry. They will experience everything in a new way. But most importantly, they will learn that UB will become a new home. So to all the incoming new students, and to all the returning students… Welcome Home.