At the beginning of this semester, I expressed my excitement, worries, and anticipation of graduating with my bachelor’s degree. Although I feel much more prepared and confident in my post-graduation decisions, there is still an overwhelming sense of ambivalence associated with moving on from university. The shift I will experience in the next week will impact every element of my daily life from the moment I wake up to the moment I close my eyes for the night.
Commencement is often the word we use to describe a terminal event, such as graduation, but in all actuality, it refers to the start of new beginnings. I am going to walk through a door to something brand new and exciting, but I am not quite ready to shut the one behind me. My life at St. Ambrose University has allowed me the opportunity to not only fill my mind with intriguing knowledge and form professional connections, but I have also encountered and formed relationships with some of my very best friends. There is a bittersweet feeling knowing that I will be eating my last meal with my friends, laughing on my way to class, and walking out of my dorm room for the very last time, despite my favorite people only being a simple phone call away. There is no feasible way for me to thank my support system enough for the ways in which they have encouraged me, motivated me, and lifted me up during dark times over the past year and a half. To all of you-I love you.
I am driving away from this university with so much more than I brought to it in the fall of 2021, yet I somehow still do not feel like I know enough to be a working professional. Although I have worked endlessly on reassuring myself that I am educated, hardworking, and a life-long learner, I constantly question my abilities as a person. However, I have to look in the mirror and remind myself that I will always be my biggest critic. I have grown into the young woman that 7-year-old me could only dream that I would become one day. I am everything and more than I could have ever wanted to be, and in my moments of doubt, I do it for her. I will accomplish great things, and I have an abundance of skills to offer the world.
If you have ever been part of my journey to the commencement stage, thank you.
With all the love in the world,
Piper