As the college season comes to a close and graduation lurks in front of us seniors like the door to an entirely different world, there are a lot of hard goodbyes.
We have to say goodbye to friends, roommates and professors. We say goodbye to the campus we have trekked through for four years, rain or shine, snow or hail.
We also have to say goodbye to clubs, organizations and the positions we hold in those organizations.
I have been president of one such organization since my election as a freshman. For six semesters, I have worked to better the pre-professional organization and provide opportunities for the students involved. For six semesters, I have planned meetings with various professionals, professional workshops and work tirelessly to grow the membership of the organization to something I can be proud of.
When I first started presiding over meetings, we averaged around seven to ten students in attendance. Now we have 50-70 students per meeting.
I have seen this organization grow from the ground up. I have carried it up to the kind of organization that people recognize by name on campus. And now I have to leave it in the hands of another, as I move onto a new chapter of my life.
Of all the goodbyes I have to say, this is the hardest.
I worry about the future of the organization like a mother worries for their child as they head off on their first day of school. Will the new president put in the same amount of effort into its success? Will they care about the individual needs of students in the group? Have I done enough to pad the transition between leadership, or will my organization fall back into obscurity?
I often worry about who the student membership will elect to the position in my place. I worry about their ability to do the job and their motivations for wanting a high leadership position. I can’t let go of the organization until I know it is in good hands.
But mostly, I hope for the future.
I look at the candidates for my replacement and think of all the passion they have shown for the group. I think deeply about the kind of new initiatives they would bring to the organization, which I have not considered before.
It’s a hard goodbye. My association with my organization has spanned college classes, several friendships and years of my life. In a way, it is the deepest connection I have at college because of all the ways it has helped me grow as a student and as a leader.
My college career is marked by this association, and I’m proud that it was. It’s going to be tough to break away from something so important to me and trust that it’s in good hands.
But as I approach the door to a bigger and brighter future, I have to let it go. To acknowledge all that I have learned in that position and all the ways it has made me into the person I am now, and come to terms with leaving it behind.
Goodbye to my hardest of goodbyes.