It may seem a bit unorthodox to feature myself in this article. However, with this being my last Campus Celeb article before I graduate, the rule book is going out the window. All year long I have been covering this blog, listening to my fellow students share stories about their time at Millersville. So collegiettes, it seemed about time that I shared some of my own favorites with you.
But first a message to Millersville and my fellow graduates:
Dear Millersville,
Suddenly, the day that has distantly awaited on our calendars for the past few years has actually arrived, and it is time to say goodbye. I don’t know how it happened, but here we are. So I wanted to take this time to tell you, Millersville, just how much you mean to me.
Students are always the harshest critics, but also the biggest fans. People who have never been here can never understand how you can love a place so much, even when you sometimes hate it. I’ve complained about my classes, the frustration of registration and the food in the dining halls. I’ve been furious at all the rain and the flooded parking lots. But even when I can write up an endless list of complaints, from my first day here I have had no regrets. The day I set foot on your campus, somehow I just fit.
I found myself sad to leave for every school break, and aching to come back by the next day. I spent my time on campus travelling around with a pack of friends, making coffee runs, and pulling all-nighters to study. Somewhere in these past four years, this place became home. Now I cannot go a single place on campus without thinking of a fond memory. I know all the best study spots and exactly which places serve my favorite food. And as a true Millersville student, I am even nostalgic for the old library, with its artfully decorated desks and ancient shelves of books.
Millersville, you may not be the fanciest, or most prestigious university in the land, but you have something so many other colleges lack: community. I will always have a special place in my heart for this quirky small-town school where I first found a home. It is hard to imagine leaving my friends, my roommates and the professors who have taught me so much. Around every corner there is a friendly face; someone waiting to hold a door open for you or chat with as you wait for class to start. Without each and every one of those people, the experience just wouldn’t have been the same.
I truly believe that the best people, the ones who truly belong here, are the ones who find their way here.. Millersville, you have meant so much to me over the last four years, and I know many of my fellow graduates feel the same. Having said all this, I know that nothing could ever fully sum up everything you have given me and my fellow students. You have prepared us for the future.
Coming back will never be the same, once all of those familiar faces have parted as well, and slowly things start to change. But the Millersville we know and love will always be with us. As we all go off in our separate directions, we will always have this experience to bind us together.
The future is scary and uncertain, and it’s always difficult to move on from something that makes us feel safe. I’m sure I’ll find that new place where I belong somewhere down the line, but Millersville will always be the first place I called home. As I move on into this new life, I feel lucky to have found a place that is so difficult to leave.
So thank you Millersville, for making my four years here something worth remembering.
Congratulations to my fellow member of the Class of 2014!
(Continue reading below for my Campus Celeb questions)
Why did you choose Millersville?
Given the sad parting letter above, no one would ever guess that Millersville was last on my list of college applications. But once it came to deciding, I knew Millersville was the right place. This campus was exactly the type of place I had envisioned spending my college years. Even though it was fairly close to home, it felt like my own sanctuary far, far away from my hometown.
What is your favorite thing about your time at Millersville?
My favorite thing has been the people. I have made so many amazing friends here. The people here are just so unfailingly kind, and the professors are so inspiring. I never stop being amazed at the incredible people I encounter every day. No matter where I go there is an interesting conversation to have or a new friend to make.
Why did you choose your major?
I have always been an avid reader, so from the time I started high school I was pretty certain I wanted to do something related to English (plus maybe be a chef and interior designer on the side). When I first applied to school, I was a Secondary English Education major, because I had no idea what other uses there were for a degree in English. However, after my first year here, I realized just how many career paths there were for an English degree so I dropped the Education part. I have no regrets about that decision.
Are you involved in anything on campus?
Currently I am a Her Campus Millersville writer and public relations manager :) I have also participated in Amnesty International and George Street Carnival (in my early days here). I was also an Orientation Leader in 2011, which is probably one of the best experiences from my time at Millersville. In the first week of training for the job, I suddenly found myself with 59 new best friends. It was also really amazing getting to introduce new students to campus and show them all the things there are to love about this school.
Brittany and the 2011 Orientation Leaders playing Manhunt
Do you have a favorite professor at Millersville?
Hands down, my favorite professor is Tim Miller. He is incredibly brilliant, and the perfect amount of eccentric. I have learned so much from him, and even better he has introduced me to some amazing literature. I never thought anyone could get me to love Paradise Lost, but he did. Some of the books I’ve read in his classes have become a few of my all time favorites.
What do you plan to do after graduation?
To my great relief, I have a job lined up, which starts in just two weeks. I get to spend my time writing, which is a dream come true.
What will you miss most about Millersville?
Like most people, I will definitely miss my friends the most. I can’t imagine not having late night food runs or going to karaoke at Hopi on Thursday nights with my roommates. I will miss seeing the people I have become close with in my classes over the past few years. I will miss being able to walk across the hall or down the street to the people that have become like my family. My friends here have opened me up to so many new ideas and experiences. Without a doubt, some of the strangest things I’ve ever done in my life have been with the crazy people I call friends at this school. It will be hard not seeing all of those people every day, but they say the friends you make in college often turn out to be lifelong friends. I know we’ll keep in touch, and I look forward to reunions for years to come.
What is some way your time at Millersville has influenced you?
I think the main thing that I have learned at Millersville is to always be open to new experiences. In high school, I was always afraid to try new things and go out of my comfort zone. But when I arrived here, I realized that all of my classmates were on the same playing field. We were all new hoping to fit in. So I went out and joined clubs, I played intramurals, and I talked to everyone I came in contact with. I became an Orientation Leader, which at one time would have been so far out of the question for my introverted personality, and you know what—I loved it! Every new thing I have tried, or experience I have made myself open to has changed me in so many ways. I’m leaving college a much more fulfilled and confident person having done all of those things, and I have my time here to thank for that.
What is something you want to do before graduation?
With graduation on Saturday, I’m pretty much out of time to do any sort of monumental cross offs on my college bucket list, but I would like to have one last hurrah with all my friends before well all part ways.