Thanks for the Memories
If you walk around a college campus at the end of finals week
you may hear a collective sigh of relief. If not that, you may hear a pin drop
because everyone is taking a nap to recover from the lack of sleep they
received the previous week. The week of finals leaves many students drained of energy,
however the glimpse of summer seems to revitalize many. The thought of warmer
days, no homework, late nights full of fun instead of homework and more seems
to bring college students back to life after the week is done.
However, for senior college students the end of finals week
means an entirely new beginning. The start to my summer was an end to so much of
my time at ONU. As a junior at Ohio Northern University, I had a lot of my
friends graduating. I was so excited for my friends as they all had big things
in store. Some of them were going to graduate school to become a doctor, physician
assistant or ambassador. Others were going on rotations to become a pharmacist.
The rest of my friends were starting their first official job out of school.
This next chapter brought so many new experiences, places and opportunities for
them. Although I was excited to see all of the things my friends would
accomplish, graduation brought up many different of emotions.
Overall, I was so proud and honored to have such amazing
friends. They all are passionately discovering what God has created them to do.
All while I was feeling this way, I was sad to see them leave. Selfishly, I
wanted to spend more time with them and for them to be a part of my senior
year. I found myself bothered by the idea that I wasn’t sure who I would hang
out with the following school year.
Ohio Northern has always done a great job planning and
executing commencement weekend. By making the graduates feel special and
including their families and friends in the festivities, it provides a
bittersweet ending to a great chapter. It also provides hope and excitement for
the chapter that lies ahead. I was so proud to attend and cheer on some of my
closest friends. It helped me to be thankful for the time we got to spend
together and look to the future of when we will get to see each other again
soon.
Difficult goodbyes only mean that the relationship you had
was strong and meaningful. I am so blessed to have had so many friends in my
life that impacted who I am as a person, made my life full of happiness and
created a part of my life that I wasn’t ready to move on from. I hope and pray
that each of you reading this experience that kind of community at some point
in your life because I do believe we were not meant to do this life alone.
It's crazy to think in just a few months that will be us. It was definitely a change coming back senior year with all of my older friends gone! Senior year is like freshman year all over again because you don't know what the heck you are doing with your life and you have to make friends all over again! ONU does a great job of preparing its students for the path God has for us! Great post Michaela :)
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