August 27, 2021. A day that simultaneously feels like yesterday and an eternity ago. This was the day I packed up my family’s car and drove the two hours to Storrs, CT, leaving behind the hometown I had known for the entirety of my 18 years. I was nervous and honestly dreading the idea of leaving the familiarity of home. I never had and still do not do well with change. Which is why I am here, on April 29, 2025, reflecting on my time here at UConn with the impending date of graduation nearing, not ready for it to be over.
College is all about growth, finding out who you are, maturing, but also enjoying sleepless nights, hungover Sundays, and endless chaotic memories with your friends. I definitely went through lots of things during my four years here, and learned some tough lessons, as well as had the most unforgettable experiences. I am so thankful and lucky for it all. However, college was not all amazing. Freshman-year Sophie would not believe that she is now ugly-crying nightly with her roommates about leaving. All she wanted to do was go home for the weekend or have her parents drive down for lunch. As a reflection on my time here, I think about everything that freshman-year Sophie would not believe.
First, freshman-year Sophie would not believe that she found her friends. As depressing as it sounds, I spent lots of time alone freshman year (the UConn Rec got to know me real well). I had a strong friend group at home, girls I still call my best friends, who had been by my side from Kindergarten through senior year, so I never had to really put myself out there. Here I was in a new state at what then seemed like a massive school, completely clueless as to how I put myself out there. I really struggled with loneliness and isolation. I was thrilled for freshman year to end and was excited that I had found a roommate for sophomore year. That roommate ended up being my best friend and is still my roommate now. We became closer with some people whom we already knew previously and formed our little group. I would not trade the loneliness freshman year for the world, knowing that good things were coming and I was going to find amazing people. Not to mention, freshman-year Sophie would not have expected to meet her boyfriend, who quickly became a huge part of her college career. Happens when you least expect it I guess!
A massive part of my college career consisted of traveling, another thing that freshman Sophie would not believe. However, freshman year Sophie would be appalled and how our bank account has shrunk these four years… but I have some pretty cool things to show for it. I always grew up with the desire to see new places, meet new people, and experience new cultures. I really tried to put those visions into action during my time at UConn. My roommates and I visited our other roommate in Florence, Italy during her time abroad. We also ventured to Madrid, Spain. My sister and I went to London, England together, which is also where I got my first tattoo.
My most insane and proudest moment of my college career regarding travel is the 18-hour journey to Ambalangoda, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. I joined PMGY UConn, a group centered on volunteering and traveling. It was so incredible to meet like-minded people who shared the same interests as me. I was able to fully immerse myself in Sri Lankan culture and help teach children. I will probably never top the experience of snorkeling in the Maldives, a place that previously only seemed to exist on Instagram influencers’ feeds. I am forever thankful to PMGY UConn, and I still pinch myself thinking about how it all happened.
My time here at UConn definitely consisted of a fair share of partying. Something about live music and being surrounded by my friends will do it for me every time. I will miss the late nights of walking to get pizza after a night out, or getting an Uber driver with a built-in karaoke system. I don’t think that freshman-year Sophie would have imagined that I would enjoy this aspect of college as much as I did, but I now walk away with some of the most chaotic, memorable experiences and memories.
Freshman year Sophie would be shocked at a few things, and not in a good way. In my time here at UConn, I have remained incredibly close to my family, both immediate and extended. However, I unfortunately lost two of my grandparents unexpectedly during my time here, a very formidable event in my life. The grief was definitely interesting to navigate at college, when I was away from my loved ones. Freshman year Sophie would also be upset that I did not continue dancing. Dance was one of the biggest parts of my life from age two to eighteen. I loved it so much, and I still do. It just never was something I continued in college. (unless you count TikTok and dancing at Ted’s) I really miss it and hope to bring it back into my life in some capacity post-grad. On the other hand, freshman Sophie would be thrilled to see that I attended every basketball game possible and streamed the ones I could not attend. I even got to see some March Madness games in person. Craziest of all was experiencing THREE national championships. My love for watching sports definitely remained consistent over these four years.
I am not ready to leave Storrs. I know that post-grad is going to be filled with exciting new experiences. However, I will miss living in a walkable community, in a house with my closest friends. I can’t even think about living states away from some of them. I will miss the late nights, the morning debriefs, the walks around campus, the classes I enjoyed, the karaoke nights, making random meals with the random groceries we had, endless sports games (Basketball Capital of the World!), and all the other things college has brought me. I am hoping that the best is yet to come, but a part of me will forever be held by Storrs.