The end of the semester brings so many stressors, emotions, fun times, excitement…basically all the feels! For me, moving out this December means I won’t drive back down the Avenue until August 2019. While I couldn’t be more excited about living in Rome next semester, it is strange to think about being away from campus for nearly 8 months…being away from my belles. But the strangest thing of all is that when I come back to campus, the Class of 2019 will have “opened the circle” and (insert the past tense of every senior’s least favorite g-word here). So here is my “thank-you” to the seniors whose paths have crossed with mine, the girls who kept going. Imagine the fear of starting a job freshman year where your coworkers are all JUNIORS (scary…I know). I was terrified to spend seven hours a week as the only freshman working with a group of juniors (who were all best friends). However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had nothing to fear. I had no idea that by applying for a job at Phonathon that I was signing up for a new set of sisters. These girls kept me going. These girls made me proud to be a belle. Whenever I felt lonely, I knew I could go to work the next day, and leave feeling happy. Whenever I freaked out about choosing my major, these girls assured me it would all be okay. They gave me all the advice I could ask for, and set amazing examples of kindness and confidence.
So thank you seniors, You welcomed me. You mentored me in my job. You told me which classes I just HAD to take before graduating. You encouraged me to be fearless enough to chop off a foot of my hair for kids with cancer. You trusted me with your “hot gossip” and kept me in the know about everything Saint Mary’s. You let me live vicariously through your entertaining stories. You sent me your entire journals from studying abroad filled with advice and adventures. You made me laugh till I cried with your foot costumes and laundry boy stories. You showed me what it looks like when your entire class is one big friend group. You showed me what it means to be a belle. So to the seniors I crossed paths with and the seniors I didn’t…THANK YOU. Thank you for your sisterly compassion, your guidance, and your friendship. You have inspired and set an example for everyone. Enjoy your last semester at the greatest place on earth. Thank you for teaching us all how to be a belle.