For those of you who missed it, last night's NCAA Championship game ended with a Kris Jenkins three pointer at the buzzer, bringing the Villanova Wildcats to their first national title since 1985. It was the shot heard around the world, and amidst the trophy, the streamers, and the screams that ensued during those final 4.7 seconds, it means so much more.
The Nova Nation isn't just a bunch of students who cross East Lancaster Avenue every morning. It's not about the courses we take or the clubs we join. It's the family we've found amidst those things that make the Nova Nation so special.
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The Nova Nation is a family. I can remember sitting in my house exactly a year ago, crying my eyes out because I had no idea which college to attend. My mother suggested we look at Villanova one more time, and despite my hesitations, I decided to visit again. I immediately knew that I needed to be a part of the Nova Nation. I'll never be able to fully describe how exciting it felt to take on the scariest adventure of my life knowing that I was headed for greatness.
The Nova Nation is not just a saying we have printed on shirts. It's the excitement I saw in the thousands of kids cheering on Accepted Students' Day. It's that feeling you get when you look around campus and see dozens of people you know and love. It's in the high fives you exchange on campus on an average Monday morning or in a riot following an extraordinary March Madness game. It's in the relationships we build through the things we all love. It's more than classes and clubs. It's people.
It's the sense of belonging. It's knowing that I'm part of something so much bigger than myself. It's the feeling we get when 3000 of us watch our favorite team play their hearts out. It's how much water was splashed after every basket, and it's how loud we cheered no matter what the score.
I know that the Nova Nation is something that lasts forever, and that it was makes it so incredible. Seeing little kids, adults, and college students all screaming, crying, and chanting together epitomizes the idea of family. When the t-shirts fade and the graduation caps are thrown, the Nova Nation remains here and there. It's something that shapes who we become as people, and I know that it can only shape you for the better. I promise.
No matter what the outcome of Monday night's game was, I know that Nova Nation will stick together no matter what the circumstances. I will never forget the mix of emotions that transitioned between fear and pure amazement in just 4.7 seconds. Even if there weren't any articles written or videos shared, those boys played for every student, faculty member, and alumni of this university. Putting your heart into something so much bigger than yourself? That's the Nova Nation.
