I have learned over the past year that having a good group of friends is an essential piece to surviving college and life. Whether it just be one person that you can talk to or five, they will be able to improve your well-being immensely. I am incredibly thankful for the group of friends that I have been blessed with at Penn State. They are a group of badass girls who have taught me how to be more confident in myself and showed me what it truly feels like to be a part of a sisterhood. Without these people in my life I’m not sure how I would have been able to survive my first semester in college.
I love the little things that they do. Playing “Landslide” on the guitar or playing “Hey Jude” on the harmonica; they are a musical bunch. I enjoy our collective love of broadway musicals and the mini performances that we give each other every now and then. I love that any one of us can start to sing a song from “Heathers” and the rest will immediately join in to harmonize.
I love that we can cry together. When I was at home I never let myself be emotionally fragile in front of anyone, not even my family. Despite this, I found myself sitting on the floor of one of your dorm rooms with tears falling down my face as we listened to sad music. I had only known you for three months. This moment let me know that I had found my other family.
The word that best describes this group of girls is Alpha. This term was first used to describe who in the group was the ultimate leader, but now I think that the title of Alpha has transformed and now means to fully own and acknowledge the power that you have as a woman. Throughout both semesters I have never once embraced the idea of being Alpha, but I know that having these bad bitches by my side one day I will be the Alpha.
What I love most about these friends is that they make me want to be a better version of myself. I admire their confidence, humor, kindness, and intelligence. I don’t know what I would do without them. My one fear going into college was that I wouldn’t have any friends, and within two days I had four. I will forever be grateful for you guys.