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Goodbye, DU: A Letter From a Graduating Senior

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DU chapter.

Dearest DU,

We are down to our last few days together. It’s been an adventure, and I would like to thank you for all that you gave me. 

Thank you for being so darn beautiful. From the lily ponds to the quaint corners of Joy Burns, there is beauty around every corner…and walking past Sturm College of Law at night never ceases to amaze me. Suddenly, as we inch closer and closer to commencement morning, it seems like the campus is more lit up and inspiring than ever before. How did that happen?

Thank you for teaching me that with a little coffee, a cozy chair in the AAC, and Jimmy Johns on speed dial that I can accomplish anything. 

Thank you for making me appreciate my hometown of Denver more than ever before. You introduced me to so many people who made me go to new places and explore parts of my glorious home that I had never experienced before.

Thank you for my best friend. Are there even words that could possibly explain how important meeting your soul sister is? From falling on flat ground at Halloween to motivating each other to stay awake into the early hours of the morning during week 10, you gave me the chance to make my best college memories. 

Perhaps above all else, thank you for teaching me that my degree means more than that I can handle a career in this competitive world. It means that I can love harder, work harder, care more, and be more than I would have ever imagined to be possible just four years ago. 

Well, DU, this is it. It’s just about that time to put on that black robe and our finest crimson and gold before you send off the class of 2017. I may not be racing through the maze of the Sturm halls anymore or organizing my life in terms of what week in the quarter it is, but I will always be a Pio. 

Alicia is a recent graduate from the University of Denver where she earned her degree in Economics and Gender & Women's Studies. She can always be found with a cup of coffee in her hand and is likely to be caught singing 90s R&B throughout the day. Now exploring her next steps in life, she is taking fashion courses at the Parsons New School of Design and planning out her graduate school and career moves. She is inspired by the writings of Roxanne Gay, the style of Alexa Chung, and the lifestyle of Grace Coddington.