Dear UVA,
As my time as a student here wraps up, I want to say thank you. These four years have been quite a roller coaster. I have been challenged, pushed out of my comfort zone, humbled, and uplifted by all of the opportunities you have offered me. I came in as an 18 year old who thought she knew what she was doing, and now I’m 22 and okay with the fact that I don’t need to have everything figured out. Let’s take a moment to rewind, shall we?
First Year
First year was chaotic. From living in the iconic “old dorms” with no AC and musty hallways to the late night croads chicken tenders to nights crying in Clark thinking that I was going to fail econ, there was truly never a dull moment. I met people who ended up sticking with me throughout these four years, and even someone in particular who would support me through thick and thin, teach me how to really study, and even rescue me from a car accident in the middle of a thunderstorm. ;) I really started to appreciate how easy it was to meet cool people and make lasting friends – through things like volunteer events, culture shows, and an online magazine.
Second Year
Second year fall was probably my hardest semester here. Although I moved into a lovely apartment and felt empowered by my new surge of independence away from home and dorms, my struggle with imposter syndrome reached an all-time high. From last minute cramming for subjects I could care less about to drafting up backup plans for “what if” scenarios were honestly all a waste of time. In hindsight, I should have put more effort into believing in myself and actually putting in the work instead of sitting there and doubting whether I deserved where I was. Thank you for allowing me to meet people who would believe in me when even I didn’t — I truly couldn’t have accomplished what I have without their support. By spring of 2020, I was finally living my best life. My hard work paid off, and I felt like I was on cloud 9. I was excited to pick myself back up and take advantage of all grounds had to offer…and then COVID-19 hit. To say the least, finishing up spring semester remotely in my childhood bedroom was definitely one of the lowlights of my college career.
Third and Fourth Year (AKA the COVID years)
Third year was supposed to be the comeback, and in some ways, it was. I finally got to study what I wanted (minus the fact that it was done all through Zoom), and I started gaining more stability in life again. The entire community had to learn how to adjust to this weird hybrid/remote life, and we all started to romanticize the little things. Suddenly, running into a friend on a wellness walk became the highlight of my week, ordering takeout was the best treat, and even seeing familiar faces while spitting into a test tube was fun. I really learned to appreciate the little things in life (as cheesy as that sounds). While wearing masks, sanitizing hands frequently, and social distancing became new the norm, so did long Zoom calls, PowerPoint nights, and virtual hugs.
Then suddenly, the panic of “oh no I’m graduating in a year!!” hit when the class of 2021 started posting grad pics and saying goodbye. Third year spring and fourth year as a whole were a period of growth. I learned to hustle and play hard, and was thrust into this mentality of having to make the most of everything. After a summer in Charlottesville, I really came to appreciate the city and entered fourth year with a sense of triumph and strength. The slow return to normalcy was met with real hugs, smiles that can actually be seen outside of Zoom, and a stronger bond with those around us. Catch-up lunches and dinners slowly became goodbye celebrations, and as everyone started declaring their new homes for the next year, I can’t help but feel both a mixture of happiness and sadness. In one aspect, we did it. We accomplished more or less what our first year selves worried about and grew up in more ways than we could’ve imagined. In another sense, these post-grad plans also mean that it’s time to leave this place, and it all happened way too fast.
Thank you, UVA, for all of the amazing memories and people I’ve met along the way. Thanks for the late nights, happy hour deals, good food, fun projects, mountain views, and a community that is very hard to say goodbye to. Thank you for helping me realize my potential and giving me the skills to grow beyond this place. Thank you for this home away from home. It has been a great four years, and you will be missed dearly.
Sincerely,
Shirley