With graduation right around the corner (which I’m definitely NOT in denial about, thanks), I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. It’s wild how the small moments, unassuming spaces, and the people you never saw coming end up defining your college experience. So here it is, a glimpse into a few of my favorite people, places, experiences, and organizations that shaped my past four years at Christopher Newport University.
Suite 148 York East: The weird layout with the best people
Let’s start at the beginning: Suite 148 in York East, my freshman-year dorm. It wasn’t one of those confusing octo-suites that everyone thinks of when referring to an oddly laid out freshmen dorm. In fact, it was the only one of its kind in our building. Instead of the usual “connected by a bathroom” setup, we had this strange little hall/lobby combo that connected the four of us, Sophia (my childhood best friend and roommate), and our randomly assigned suitemates, Hannah and Kassidy.
This shared in-between space had two storage closets, two bedroom doors, one bathroom door, a single sink (questionable decision), and the front door that led into the suite. It was a layout that made no sense but made everything else fall into place. We bumped into each other constantly, and those constant interactions quickly turned into genuine friendships. We even turned one of those closets into the legendary “cry closet”, complete with fairy lights, pillows, and a stuffed animal for anyone (and I mean anyone) who needed a private moment to breathe. You’d be surprised how many visitors outside of the four of us found themselves using that little sanctuary.
Then, of course, there were the football players across the hall. Always causing chaos, stealing our door decorations and swapping them with their own, leaving pizza outside their door like hallway gifts, and generally being the comedic chaos we never asked for but always got.
Inside suite 148, sitting on the floor of Sophia and I’s bedroom, the four of us ate many meals from dining hall to go boxes, which quickly became a ritual due to covid and dining all limitations. We laid on that floor studying, or chatting about our starry eyed freshmen dreams for the future, and laid in the dark listening to All Too Well (10 Minute Version) like it was a religious experience or trauma dumping therapy session. That strange, shared space gave me the kind of friendships that made freshman year survivable and unforgettable.
The Third floor of the dsu: a late discovered sanctuary
Welcome to my favorite little hidden gem on campus. The third floor of the DSU, quiet, scattered with tables, and overlooked by most. I didn’t stumble upon it until my senior year (a crime, honestly), but once I did, it became my cozy sanctuary. When Einstein’s was too crowded or the library was giving too much pressure, this space was it. Ideal for people-watching, casual reading, or locking in on a last-minute assignment. If you still have time left on campus, trust me, go explore this floor.
The Wason Center: From Cold calls to a community of cohorts
The Wason Center in McMurran started off as a job, but it quickly became one of the most defining parts of my time at CNU. As a Wason Scholar, I got my first campus job there as a student caller during freshman year, conducting non-partisan political surveys that gathered data often cited by well-respected, major news outlets. The job came with stories, some weird, some hilarious, some a little horrifying, but always eye-opening. I learned how to really listen to people, even when I disagreed with them, and how to keep calm when things got tense. Sophomore year, I became a lab supervisor, hearing even more from fellow callers after difficult or just plain bizarre phone interactions. That lab taught me more about people than any class could.
Eventually, the call lab closed, and the space was transformed into the Wason Scholars lounge and meeting room, a bittersweet change. But that transformation allowed space for two more incredible cohorts of scholars (the current freshmen and sophomores), and I’ve been so lucky to watch them grow and do amazing things at CNU. I’m endlessly proud to know them and grateful to have shared even a small part of their journey.
The People Who Made it Home: THe real MVP’s
Kassidy, my suitemate, turned roommate, turned one of my soul people. She’s always told me the truth, hard truths and honest ones, not because she doesn’t care about my feelings, but because she loves me enough to want what’s truly best for me. She’s the most determined and committed person I’ve ever met. Seriously, she’s taken multiple 18-credit semesters and played on and served as club volleyball president, and worked an on-campus job, and was a Bonner Service Scholar volunteering with victims of human trafficking and in immigration law. I’ve been in awe of her since day one, and I cannot wait to see the powerhouse she continues to become. Whatever she does next, I know she’ll be incredible.
Hannah, our group’s literal ray of sunshine. Her smile lit up our suite from the moment she walked in, and her dad cemented himself as a legend after falling asleep on the couch during an RA orientation meeting (still iconic). She and I quickly bonded over shared anxiety, we’ve guided each other through panic attacks, talked each other through anxiety spirals, and created a safe space where we could just be. She’s a fellow Wason Scholar, a natural leader, and always the first to back me up, especially when it comes to picking on our beloved former Wason Director Tom. She has one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known, and I am endlessly thankful for her. Anyone who gets to meet her moving forward will get to say their life has been touched by someone truly amazing.
Kaitlyn was a junior when I arrived at CNU in the Fall of 2021. At the time, she was a supervisor in the Wason Center call lab, but the first memory I have of her is from our first Distinguished Virginians dinner in October of that year, an event with conversation and catered food, where our guests would later speak in front of students from the President’s Leadership Program. After that night, we didn’t see much of each other, as she studied abroad that spring. But when the lab manager graduated at the end of the semester, Kaitlyn stepped into the role and hired me as a lab supervisor, promoting me from my original position as a student researcher. My sophomore year passed in a friendly, casual way, with Kaitlyn as my boss, until just before spring break, when she mentioned she had no plans and would be staying in her dorm on campus for the next week. On a whim, I invited her to spend the week with me at my family’s beach condo in North Carolina, and to my surprise, she said yes. That trip changed everything. It solidified our friendship and opened the door for me to see her as the big sister I never had. As the oldest of three, I’d never had a strong, intelligent, supportive older sibling to guide me through life’s intimidating transitions, but in Kaitlyn, I found exactly that. Even now, two years after her graduation and with mine just around the corner, I still text her constantly, sharing my spiraling thoughts, seeking advice, and asking for reassurance as I face the unknowns of post-grad life. We don’t see each other often, but she is still such a steady and comforting presence in my life. I love her with my whole heart, and I’m proud to say she’s my big sister in every way that counts.
Dr. Kat Callahan, one of the most bad*ss, intelligent, strong, and compassionate women I’ve ever met, and a professor who changed my college experience. I’ve taken a class with her almost every semester. At first, I respected her from afar. She was clear, direct, fair, but we didn’t totally connect until the end of freshman year when I had a serious health scare and hospitalization. From that point on, she became a permanent fixture in my life. She supported me not just academically but personally. She never had to form a relationship with me beyond student and professor, but she did. And now, she’s someone I trust with every fiber of my being, someone who’s guided me through college and shown me what it means to be a fierce and fearless leader. I’ve sent her a million anxious emails throughout my time here, and let’s be real, I’m absolutely going to keep sending them post-grad, whether it’s just a quick check in or an Allison anxiety spiral she’s always been able to handle. She’s everything I hope to grow into and become.
Organizations That Shaped me: Key pieces of my leadership journey
While places and people play major roles, the organizations I found at CNU gave me purpose, community, and the necessary skills of a civically engaged leader.
Her Campus at CNU came into my life during freshman year at the organization involvement fair. I remember walking up to the table, nervous but curious, and being greeted by Becca. She was the President at the time and she seemed so cool, put together, and genuinely kind. She struck up a conversation and made me feel instantly welcome. That small interaction made a huge impact.
That first year, my involvement was minimal. I joined the writing team and published maybe five or six articles, but by sophomore year, everything changed. I became Senior Editor and was suddenly running the writing team. That’s when Her Campus really cemented itself in my life. I had so much fun assigning topics, brainstorming content, and reading the incredible work submitted by our writers. I felt like I had found something integral to who I am.
As that year came to a close and our chapter president at the time, Sierra, prepared to graduate, there was a lot of buzz about who would take over her position. It came down to Nora (our social media director) and me. Because Nora had a study abroad semester planned, the role kind of just fell into my lap. At first, I was hesitant, I lacked confidence and doubted whether I could handle the responsibility. But now, two years later, I can say without a doubt that serving as chapter president has been one of the best experiences of my life.
From creating fun events and locking in brand deals to building a cohesive online presence, leading this organization has been so fulfilling. It brought our chapter closer together, and it introduced me to some of the most creative, interesting, and intelligent people I’ve ever met. I truly don’t know who I’d be, personally or as a leader, if I hadn’t spent the past four years growing with Her Campus. This organization has my heart.
Then there’s the Wason Center for Civic Leadership, my first connection to CNU, even before I stepped on campus to start my fall semester. My interview for the Wason Scholar program took place over a Google Meet in June 2021, after my high school graduation and before moving onto campus. Tom, the then-director of the program, was the one who interviewed me. He was intimidating, not because of how he looked, but because of his confidence, energy, and the way he carried himself. I remember being nervous as I talked about myself and answered his questions. But quickly, his silly dad humor and infectious laughter won me over. By the end of that hour-long conversation, he offered me my spot in the program. That moment changed everything. Tom saw something in me, a quiet, hesitant, freshly graduated girl with big ideas and no clear direction, and gave me the chance to grow.
Our first year as Wason Scholars was chaotic but formative. Since my cohort was the very first, Tom lovingly called us his “guinea pigs.” He tried out new ideas and events on us, then circled us up to give feedback and make improvements. My favorite phrase he and I used was “We’re building the bike while riding it” and it couldn’t have felt more accurate.
Everything shifted during the spring of freshman year. Our cohort of eight, at the time, was tasked with developing a non-partisan political survey to be used in the field by student callers in the Wason lab. Sitting in a McMurran computer lab, debating questions about education, social media, and political polarization, we bonded. We became a team. A real community.
Now, three years later, we’ve grown from a small experiment to a full-fledged program with a cohort at every class level and around 35 scholars total. And this year, my original cohort will be the first to graduate.
Wason has offered me countless opportunities, from the Dinner for the Common Good, where I’ve shared meals and conversations with Senator Mark Warner, former Representative Abigail Spanberger, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, to the Distinguished Virginians Program, where I’ve learned from leaders like former Senior Virginia Supreme Court Justice Bill Mims and one of my favorites, Jacquelyn Stone, a powerhouse partner at McGuireWoods Consulting with 34 years of experience in business immigration and state regulatory law. These people inspired me with their stories, their integrity, and their impact.
But more than anything, I’m grateful for the people I found through Wason, my incredible cohort, which now includes six of the most driven and compassionate individuals I’ve ever known:
Hannah Gee: My freshman-year suitemate, my close friend, and the human embodiment of sunshine. Constantly joyful and one of the most supportive people I’ve ever known. She brings light, positivity, and warmth wherever she goes, always making everyone feel seen and safe.
Christina: An absolute force in the pre-med world and a powerhouse with a heart for underserved communities. She’s passionate, driven, dedicated to her future as a doctor, and I have no doubt that she’ll change the future of women’s health.
Jack: The only guy in our cohort, always down to be “one of the girls”, and put up with our chaos and whirlwind style energy. His blend of kindness, intelligence, and laid back attitude has not only made him our favorite anomaly and most lovable person for teasing, but someone I truly admire and respect.
Hannah G: The world traveler and explorer of our cohort, always up for spontaneous plans. She’s funny, thoughtful, and has a way of bringing levity to any situation. She’ll forever be my favorite person to share a look with across the room after someone says something completely out of pocket. Another future medical professional in our group, she truly does it all.
Nashara: Jack’s favorite and most persistent antagonist, lovingly of course. Her humor, honesty, and boldness truly bring our group to life. She never fails to speak her mind and keep it real with us, which is exactly why we love her.
Annie: Our up-and-coming lobbyist. Incredibly driven, she always knows exactly who to talk to, where to be, and what to say. Passionate about public policy and advocacy, she’s the one who constantly encourages us to dream big and work hard for what we want. A true queen of event planning, marketing, and social media with a mission to make a difference.
This group, this mismatched, passionate, brilliant group, became like a little dysfunctional but loving family to me. We’ve grown together, struggled together, laughed endlessly, and made something truly meaningful out of what started as a scholarship, the call lab, and a survey of our own. I don’t know who I’d be without the Wason Center or without them. These are the people who’ve shaped me, challenged me, and reminded me that leadership is about people first, always. And most importantly, I can’t wait to have a stacked contact list made up of my fellow scholars, future civic leaders who will go on to do incredible things for their communities, and who I know I’ll be proud to call friends, collaborators, and changemakers for years to come.
The Final Paragraphs before I turn the page
As I stand at the edge of graduation, it feels impossible to sum up what these four years have meant to me. They’ve been messy and magical, exhausting and exhilarating, full of surprises and so many moments I never realized would become defining until long after they had passed. I’ve found community, purpose, and pieces of myself I didn’t know I was missing in the first place. It’s hard to say goodbye and close this chapter, not because it wasn’t enough, but because it was everything. The people I’ve met here, suitemates, professors, Wason scholars, Her Campus members, and chosen family, have changed me in ways I’ll carry forever. They’ve taught me how to lead, how to listen, how to cry and recover, and how to believe in myself even when I doubted if I should. Christopher Newport University gave me more than an education. It gave me stories. Friendships. Growth. A deep understanding that leadership is service, that connection is everything, and that sometimes the weirdest spaces turn out to be the most defining and sacred. This may be the end of my undergraduate career, but I’m leaving with something I didn’t have four years ago: a clearer sense of who I am, a whole cast of found family, and an unforgettable chapter to look back on as I start my adventure in the next.