You did it. You lived through another trip around the Sun. You went through a whole school year in a panda express, pandemonium, panorama, pandemic. It was not always easy–people didn’t want to wear masks or be locked in their house for much longer, but we got through it together. We learned online and tried our best to make good grades despite the Zoom lags. We celebrated birthdays and holidays apart to keep family members and friends safe. And you know what? I’m so proud of you.
This school year, you faced difficulties and changes and took them in stride. It sucked not to experience a freshman year like the one promised when accepted to college, but we got through it. Despite 25% capacity in Bryant-Denny Stadium, our football team still became National Champions. Our gymnastics and men’s basketball teams won SEC championships, and all of our sports teams broke barriers despite the pandemic. You don’t have to be a world class runner to deserve praise; if you went on a walk for the first time in a while, good job babe!
I’m proud of you for living your truth. The world has a cookie cutter idea of perfection, and you have broken that mold by being your unique, undeniable and amazing self. You have proven to the world that you are not taking any of its crap and the world should step aside for you.
You’ll hit roadblocks in your life, but you must remember that you are only a college student, and there is so much life ahead of you. Didn’t get the job? It’s okay, there’s a lot of other jobs and so many more opportunities. It’s okay if the person you thought would be your forever one day moved on. You are only 18-22 years old, and there will be so many more people to fall in and out of love with. Failed a test? It’s okay, there are other tests and more assignments and more semesters. I am proud of you for trying your best and trying at all.
You are growing as a human every day and are better than your yesterday’s self. Even if the biggest thing you did today was get up and face the world, I’m proud of you.