To the school of my dreams—
A little over four years ago, I walked through your halls for the first time and fell in love. If I’m being honest, I really didn’t think that I would, and I had almost ruled you out, but something about that tour made me change my mind, and I’m glad I did.
I’m not going to stand here and pretend that my time at Emerson was perfect or unproblematic. There were definitely challenges and places where I feel like Emerson could have done much better. However, I am so thankful that Emerson was the school that I chose to spend the past four years, since I know that Emerson is trying harder than a lot of other schools are willing to in some of these areas.
I don’t want to dwell on the things that I struggled with though, since through Emerson, I met my closest friends, favorite professors, and noteworthy connections that I will always remember. I had more good days than bad,, which is saying a lot for someone who battles with anxiety and depression. I can also officially say that in the past four years, I’ve had less mental breakdowns combined, than just my senior year of high school alone.
Emerson was a place of healing for me, and I didn’t expect that going in. I found a community where I finally belonged, and I was able to grow in a space that wanted to nurture the skills I have. My education might have been unconventional (no, seriously—I took a class about the history of clothing in the American 20th century), but it was the perfect education for the kind of learner that I am. Every class felt catered to the success of all its students, not just me, and I will always be thankful for that.
I was really afraid to go to school in a city like Boston, since there were so many things that could go wrong, or things that scared me. But the transition to Emerson was something that I’ll always be thankful for because with the campus we have, I was forced to enjoy the parts of the city that surround us, and go and explore places further away.
If there is one thing that I am really thankful for thought, it is that I always felt believed in, even when I was doubting myself. In classes, when I was unsure, my peers always stepped up to help. If my peers weren’t able to solve the problem, professors would hold additional office hours that worked with my schedule just to help me.
I’ve said it a thousand times, but I will always be so thankful for the Emerson community, since it is unlike any other that I’ve seen or experienced. I’m so thankful to have gotten the chance to study at the school of my dreams, and I can’t wait to continue on to my masters degree.
See you in the fall, Emerson.