All of a sudden, it’s May 2026, which felt so far away when I first walked onto Wake’s campus as a nervous 18-year-old in August of 2022. With two weeks until I walk the stage to receive my diploma, it’s overwhelming to reflect back on the experiences that have shaped me, and the people who have changed my life over the past four years.
As my time at Wake comes to a close, I’ve realized how special the small, everyday moments are that have become a part of my routine here. I walk into Tribble Hall every morning, excited to see the girls in my education cohort who share the same enthusiasm for teaching and iced coffee, and never fail to make me laugh during a lesson demo. On Sunday mornings when the weather is nice, my best friend and I drive with the windows rolled down, blasting Taylor Swift on the way to get our favorite everything bagels from Bagel Station. I stay up too late at my friends’ house down the street, playing an overly competitive card game and laughing at the same stupid jokes, when I should probably be studying. We sit outside of each other’s houses in Charms, soaking up the sun and just enjoying each other’s company, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. It’s hard to think about the fact that in just a few weeks, this won’t be my everyday life anymore.Â
The hardest part of graduating is knowing that your life is about to completely change. The place you live, your daily routine, the people you see regularly… the world might feel like it’s turning upside down. But something I’ve realized is that while my day-to-day life at Wake has been largely shaped by regular and comfortable routine, my overall college experience has been defined by immense change. I’ve been through my highest and lowest moments in college; everyone has; but I’ve also come out the other side of every challenge, every accomplishment, and every major change with a new understanding of myself. With every change, I learn more about who I am, what I want to define me, and how I want to live my life to its absolute fullest. Yes, change is scary. But without it, you would not be the brave, ever-evolving version of yourself that carries you through all of life’s seasons.
So, to my fellow graduates reading this, embrace these last moments of your senior year and the people you’ve built your college life around. Hug your friends tight and feel your heart swell up as the song Landslide comes on at the bar. This place, these people, and these experiences will always be a part of you and your story, and will continue to be in your postgrad life, even if things look a bit different. Yes, we’re getting older, and change feels scary. But to answer Fleetwood Mac’s question, you can handle the seasons of your life. After all, your life is just beginning, and how exciting is that?!