It seems like only yesterday that I was moving into Dobie and starting my freshman year here at THE University of Texas. Heck, it seems like yesterday it was freshman orientation and I got lost walking from Jester to the FAC. I think back to little baby Felicia who was too scared to pull out a map to figure out how to get places because I didn’t want to look like a *~FrEsHmAn~*. But what’s so funny is that I should have enjoyed every moment of being a freshman; I should have relished everything that was new.
Soon, I did begin to realize how many incredible people, opportunities, and experiences awaited for me on the Forty Acres. From hearing Meryl Streep speak, to taking master dance classes with Brodway performers, to starting my journey with Her Campus Texas as a contributing writer and working my way up to Editor-in-Chief, I certainly relished in all of these amazing moments.
None of those would have happened if I hadn’t decided to call UT home. Becoming a Longhorn opened the doors wide open for me to learn, grow, and succeed, as I know it will continue to do so after I leave. While I’m so happy UT provided those opportunities for me, it also was able to comfort me during the challenging times as well. There were plenty of times that the Forty Acres saw me shed a few tears, and even spout off harsh rants, too. But maybe it was because of the beauty of visiting my favorite spots on campus, or the possibility that something extremely exciting and unexpected could happen the very next day, that a light was shown on even the darkest of days.
So, sure, maybe three IF buses has passed me that day, causing me to be late to class, but walking down the familiar winding road of San Jac to my favorite dance class made me excited to see what fun dance rep I would learn that day.
And okay, maybe rushing from the stadium to the Six Pack (think about that hill on 21st) was the worst 10 minutes of my life for a semester, but I knew my close friends armed with snacks and laughs, ready to navigate the stressful world of French 601c at my destination, which didn’t make it so bad.
And yes, OKAY, Freshman Felicia didn’t realize what a mistake it was to schedule herself for a MWF 8:00am math class ALL the way in the CPE, but I couldn’t help but love being able to observe the campus in such a calm and quiet state.
So, thank you, UT. Thank you for the abundant moments in the abundant places on this campus. You gave me the study spots of the Gregory Gym games room, the PCL, and the SAC. You gave me the performance spaces of the Lab Theater, the Brockett, the Payne, the Hogg Auditorium, and the Bass Concert Hall. You gave me a home in BEL 502A and the atrium. These were the places that you opened the doors and let me learn, grow, and succeed, and I am nothing but grateful.
These past four years have been nothing short of incredible, and I hope that I will be able to do the Forty Acres proud as I move on to a bigger campus; the world. Because what starts here, really does change the world.