Transitioning to college is never 100% smooth sailing. It takes adjustment. It takes a level of comfort with change. It takes time.
Who made this easier for me? My four adopted sisters.
My friend (and now housemate) has an older sister who was a junior when we were freshman. Immediately we all became close with her and her roommates.
These girls were INSTRUMENTAL to my development at Bonaventure. Where is the nearest bagel shop? Why did this boy just break my heart? Can I crash on your couch? What nail color matches my dress best? Let’s go get Wendy’s and walk the trail.
Whatever I needed, they were there. They let me borrow countless amount of clothes, tons of food and offered the best words of wisdom. Grace, Hannah, Ali and Iris became family.
One of my most bittersweet moments at Bonaventure was taking their graduation photos. They looked beautiful and classy, so why did we all feel so sad? We knew it was almost time to say goodbye.
Luckily, Ali and Iris are still here for me to pester, but there is definitely a hole in my heart now that Grace and Hannah have moved on to bigger and better things.
Now that I am an upperclassman and have my own townhouse, I notice myself trying to step into this role of an “older sister”. When I noticed this a couple weeks ago, I pushed this emotion to the side. I have one older brother, so I never really give off the energy of an older sibling. I am the youngest through and through.
But for some reason, I notice myself maturing into this role pretty nicely (at least, that’s how I view it).
As I take on more leadership roles in things like Her Campus, Mt. Irenaeus, and even some of the kids I tutor, I try to give off the most welcoming energy I can. Maybe this is my peer coach training coming in handy, but I really do try to keep people under my wing.
It was somewhat easy being the freshman that needed to be mentored. I had nothing together. I was the taker. Now, I get to be the giver.
This week, I am hosting a dinner for the students going on the upcoming Mountain on the Road trip. I could not be more excited. It’s almost like even though the four girls are all not here anymore, I can still give back to them in some universal karma way.
As small as hosting one dinner may be, think about how special these moments can be.
Be who you needed when you were younger. This could be as a child, freshman in college, or even a new member of the club. Transitions are hard! What can you do to make it easier for someone than it was for you?