My college experience was…unconventional to say the least. In 2019 I was fresh out of high school and ready to start my next phase of life. I moved into my dorm, got a job that I loved, and joined a few clubs. I wasn’t exactly in love with college, but I knew that I could get through it. And then came COVID. My college plan was essentially hit by a bus like Regina George in Mean Girls, and I was back to square one. Just as I was making progress and getting used to the idea of spending the next four years of my life at this giant university, we were sent home to finish the semester online.
Despite how it may seem, this is not a sad story. It is actually the story of how I began to love college. I finished off my first year in a fairly uneventful manner. At this time I was just going through the motions of college, finding little to look forward to and watching the pandemic worsen with each passing month. A conversation I had with my advisor changed my path, and I decided to graduate early. I felt like this was not going to make a difference in my experience because I was not having the best time anyway. I did not think anything of it because I was a freshman and still had two more years ahead of me.
All of this changed when I joined Her Campus. In the fall of 2020, I saw a facebook post about a group on campus that wrote articles for a national organization. I had no experience with journalism but thought the idea of meeting new people sounded like something I could benefit from. During one of the first few meetings I signed up for a mentorship pairing. One current member of Her Campus would be assigned to me to guide me through the club and answer any questions I had. I don’t know if it was fate or just an amazing coincidence, but my mentor went from being a stranger to one of my closest friends in just a few months. It isn’t often that you meet someone you instantly connect with, but I am so grateful for it.
That same semester, I landed a remote internship for a law firm in South Africa. It was an incredibly exciting opportunity that not only gave me work experience but also introduced me to the world outside of academics. I became more involved than ever in clubs and volunteering. All of this has led me to where I am currently. I joined the Her Campus events team to become closer to with the club and the members in it. I moved into a house with roommates that bring me so much joy everyday. I also continued working at Wharton Center, my favorite place on campus.
Here I am, three years later and I wonder if I’ll regret my decision to leave MSU early. I don’t want to leave with regrets, but I never thought I would have so much to leave behind. This school and the experiences I’ve had here will always hold a special place in my heart, but life keeps changing and that is something I have to accept. In August I will start my new journey in New York, where I will be attending Columbia University School of Social Work to obtain my MSW. I will miss the people and places that have been close to me these past three years, but every ending has a new beginning. This is my farewell, but it is not goodbye. Until we meet again, MSU.
“Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you.” -Taylor Swift