November is all about being thankful for things. Not only is Thanksgiving at the end of the month, but the busy, present-filled month of December is only a few short weeks away. To remind us to be thankful the rest of the month (and not just at the Thanksgiving dinner table), we collaborated on a list of what we are thankful for. Here are the results:
Mavis Salomon-Lowden: I’m thankful for TAs and the ARC because that is legit the only way I am keeping my head on straight in my senior year. People who are willing to help you when you are struggling are rare, so I am so thankful they are there to help me.
Casey Schmauder: I’m thankful to the people I’ve met who have become steadfast friends in a matter of months. They made the transition to college so easy, and they made my floor in Sutherland a place I can call home.
Sarah Filiault: I’m thankful for teachers that post their lecture slides online because I’m not the type of person who can learn by listening to someone talk for an hour. Having the slides online gives me the opportunity to teach myself while still having a guideline of the information the teacher wants me to know.
Khadijah Adamu: I am extremely thankful for my roommate who always texts me whenever she has a guy over! Especially those times when I get the text right when I’m at the door, I know she really cares about my eyes.
Bekah Jean: I’m thankful for the guy who made my White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks when it was freezing out the other day. Even though he spelled my name wrong, he made one hell of a drink, and I am eternally grateful. I’m also thankful for my family for being there through everything. Even though they are weird, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
Morgan Everett: I am thankful for the opportunity to live in such a beautiful first apartment here in Oakland and to share it with my incredible roommate (and fellow HC Pitt writer) Addie.
Jessie Iacullo: This might sound SO corny, like times-a-million, but whatever I don’t care, it’s true—I’m really thankful for Her Campus. From the people I’ve met through it to the articles, it’s allowed me to write; I have loved HC since I joined last fall. There’s nothing I love more than when people from both Pitt and home tell me that they look forward to reading my articles, especially when they make it to the national’s page. HCXO!
Amanda Corrado: I am thankful for being able to go to college at Pitt! This is 100% the school for me, and I wouldn’t have changed my decision if I were able to. The student sections at sports games, the friendly atmosphere, and the people I’ve met here have made my college experience amazing and unforgettable. I am actually dreading graduation in the spring because I’m going to miss it so much.
Kevin Narby: Not particularly original, but I can’t deny it—I’m thankful for my mother who has helped keep me sane through all the stress of college and life in general. Even though I tell her she worries about me too much, I know how much she cares and that means the world to me. Even though she has her own struggles dealing with the stresses of being a middle school teacher, she has always been there in my moments of crisis great and small. I don’t tell her this nearly often enough, but she’s been the one who keeps me going.
Fredrika Unander-Scharin: I am thankful for my sisters. Even though we’ve always gotten along, our relationship and friendship has grown as we’ve gotten older. My youngest sister is graduating high school this year, so it is possibly the last year we will have the opportunity to be children together for the rest of our lives. Growing up is scary—we’ll be separated by jobs, school, and real life from now on—but I know I will always have my sisters, Ingrid and Hedvig, by my side.
Megan Baksi: I am also super thankful for my mom! She is my closest confidant, and I know she is always by my side when I need her. She is always there to “talk me off the ledge,” so to speak, when I am super stressed about a test, and I am eternally grateful for that. I would not be nearly as close to where I am now without her. Also, her mom jokes are the only things that keep me sane through midterms/finals.
Claire Sabatine: I am thankful every single second to attend a school in a gorgeous city that surrounds me with SO much opportunity and people who are genuinely kind and driven. Having friends who value being super involved in activities that will benefit their futures, and also having a lot of fun and supporting one another is a true blessing. On top of that, I don’t know what I would do without the constant love and encouragement from my parents and little brother, especially when I’m crazy stressed from school, clubs, auditions… Oh yeah, theatre… thank you to the “art of acting” for being my passion and artistic outlet. All of these things—friends, family, dreams—make me want to be a better person each and every day, and for that I am so thankful.
Priya Ranganathan: I am thankful for waking up each morning with a smile on my lips and hope that each day will be better than the one before it. Over the years I have learned that the only way to face the downs of life is with a game face, and so many problems in my life have become easier to handle thanks to this philosophy. I am also exceedingly thankful to have my wonderful family, friends, and the two cultures I share. And for the family I have both at Model UN and at HC Pitt.
Katie Piscopio: I’m thankful for my family, and for the way my parents raised me. They always allowed me to leave the nest and dream bigger than Long Island (going to Pittsburgh for school, studying in Barcelona, and going to work at a camp for the whole summer every year), and while I know they miss me a lot, they never hold me back from getting to do all the amazing things I’ve experienced. I’m thankful to have such an amazing sister, who motivates me to do well in school out of our sheer competitiveness that we totally don’t admit, but know we have… she beat my high school cumulative GPA by .05 points, but I won on the ACT, so I’ll settle!
Katie Milliken: I’m thankful for my family, boyfriend, and friends for supporting me when I need it most. And also I’m thankful for being a part of Pitt Polo; they made Pitt feel more like home, and I’m proud to be a part of the team!
Image credit: 1, All others provided by HC Pitt members