Two years can seem like a lifetime. Two years can seem like a fleeting moment. Two years just isn’t enough time.
I didn’t expect all that much when I arrived at SAU as a transfer student. I really didn’t believe that I’d find some of my best friends.
But I did, and now I don’t want to let them go. These people inspire me. The make me laugh. They make me happy. They occasionally make me cry. And, most importantly—they make me appreciate every moment, every memory and every time I see them.
Life can change in an instant. I’ve seen it happen. That’s why I appreciate my SAU education so much.
I went through high school…which was just fine, but it really only left me with a handful of life-long friends. Sure, it’s not the quantity but the quality. And yes, they were quality.
Community college left me with teachers that I’ll treasure forever, but only one real friend.
St. Ambrose is a family, though. I KNEW that as soon as I stepped onto this campus that I’d love them all. It was a feeling. It was as simple as that. I fit right in on day one. I couldn’t have asked for more.
I’ve never once regretted coming to SAU. It’s been almost like a dream. For two years I’ve focused all my attention on communication.
To all of those people in the communication department—thank you. I’ll never be able to say that enough. I’ll never be able to tell you just how much of an impact you’ve had on me. I’ll never be able to re-pay you for what you’ve given me. I only hope that I can have as much of an impact on someone as you’ve had on me someday.
To my communication classmates—you’re amazing. Each and every one of you. You’re all irreplaceable. You all write a unique story each time you set out to interview someone. To me, it’s so inspiring to be a part of a department that is so exposed to the rest of the campus and community. What we do represents SAU. This year we’ve been especially lucky to have such a motivated, dedicated and talented group of students.
One of those motivated and talented students that I had the privilege of meeting though an interview for a story was Mary Madormo. I took on a story about some new online magazine at SAU. HerCampus, believe it or not. I met Mary, wrote a story and it made the front page of the newspaper. (My first cover story at SAU!) She came to write for the paper the very next semester. Unfortunately, I was late to return the favor, just starting in on HerCampus this semester. But, I’ve always loved reading it.
It was one of those serendipitous moments. You don’t mess with serendipity. It was one of those times that I look back and realize that on a campus like this we’re all so close. Things happen for a reason. Things always work out. And while I sometimes need to be reminded of that daily, at the end of the day it is always in the back of my head.
SAU is so fortunate Mary started this branch of HerCampus. She really put her heart and soul into it. It’s nice to have a place to just write about Kate Middleton, Disney and boys. We’re just college girls writing for one another. It’s the perfect escape from the daily grind of the sometimes sad news we report on through the newspaper and television station.
While we’re still a serious news organization—and we do mean business—we’re all just looking to explore a different type of journalism and a see what we can share with others.
I’ll miss the little moments. I’ll miss the happiness when we finish a project/edition/paper/presentation. I’ll miss the family I have at SAU. But I plan on taking this family with me wherever I go. It’s all I hope for that we will all stick together and in 40+ years we will still be getting together to share our favorite memories from “back then at Ambrose.”
Thanks for everything SAU. This isn’t goodbye, I promise.