Photo creds: Malia Bouattia
The snow has finally melted, the sun is shining, and finals are slowing creeping up. In just a short time, colleges will be overwhelmed with students packing up cars, hugging each other goodbye, and sharing their exciting summer plans. It is almost the end of spring semester; which means it is almost time to bid farewell to the class of 2017. No matter what year you are, I am confident that at some point you have each crossed paths with a senior. Maybe you looked up to them as a role model, or simply have asked them a question. Maybe you have built a friendship, or put on a jersey alongside them. While the majority of what makes our campus so familiar will remain the same when we return next fall, nothing will fill the void that will be the absence of this senior class.
So as the final days of school come to an end, acknowledge your seniors. Don’t wait until the last afternoon together on campus to say goodbye. Say it now. Tell them how much they mean to you and how much they have taught you. Thank them for taking you under their wing, or for showing you the hidden gems on campus. Hug them a little tighter and walk with them a little slower. Their leadership, compassion and happiness are contagious, and after spending time with any one of them, we will never be the same.
For the seniors themselves, graduation is an exciting, bittersweet moment. It is the time when they are acknowledged for all of their outstanding collegiate accomplishments, and when they realize they are truly prepared to head out into the world and live life to its fullest. For the rest of us, it is a moment of realization, because graduation serves as a reminder that our college years are passing quickly. To the seniors: we are proud of you, we are grateful for you, and we are so happy for you, but we will miss you. I hope that one day we can each be a senior to another underclassman the way you were to us. But for now, we wish you the very best of luck in all that you do!
Photo creds: Hamilton Catering