When I started my journey into higher education as a freshman in 2019, I was incredibly excited to start what would be one of the most important, foundational periods of my life. Little did I know how much the next four years had in store for me from a worldwide pandemic causing a portion of my time at Iona to be through online schooling, to surprisingly being able to graduate from a University by the end of my 4 years. When the pandemic first hit, I felt as if I was being robbed of the college experience that I had worked so hard to obtain. Despite the hecticness and uncertainty that the pandemic brought, my junior year allowed me to slowly return to a “normal” college experience and throughout the year I expanded my skillsets, earned my first internship, and connected with plenty of new classmates and friends along the way. Now as a senior, I’m preparing to close this chapter of my life, and that realization has brought many emotions along with it.  

As of right now, I’m not ready to say goodbye to all of the friends, classmates and professors that I’ve grown to know, love and appreciate over the past four years. My college experience helped shape me into the person I am today and it gave me social opportunities that I hadn’t been able to experience beforehand that gave me memories that will last a lifetime. While at times it does still feel like the pandemic robbed me of my time and opportunities, I feel as if I have been able to make up for those lost moments and make the most out of the time that I was given.  

I’m sure that many other seniors in my graduating class currently feel similarly. We don’t know what the future has in store for us and that can be both equally terrifying and exhilarating. In a way, getting ready to say goodbye to my time as a student at Iona feels like getting ready to leave the nest. It’s surreal that I’m bringing a close to my education after graduation with nothing but the real world waiting for me afterward. Part of that feels scary as right now I don’t know what that will look like for me when May comes but at the same time, it will be exciting stepping into an entirely new chapter of life that will present itself with even more opportunities and connections and the same is true for all of us.  

It won’t be long before graduation season but before that time comes, I want to make the most out of my senior year. There are still opportunities to grow and learn in my career, things to accomplish and improve at. While the time I have left at Iona may be short, I want to capitalize on it and not leave wishing that I had done something that I hadn’t. So to the rest of my graduating class, no matter what lies in store for us, let’s make the most out of this year.