I made it. Eight months and four hundred miles from home. 34 credit hours knocked out. How is it over already? My first year at college was amazing. I went way out of my comfort zone, I took some fun classes, some difficult classes, learned some time management, did a lot of paperwork, and most importantly, I met the people who made the classes deep, the homework less painful, the meals a source of fun, the weekends something to look forward to, and college something to welcome. I had some great professors. Ten of them, total. Every one of them has imparted to me their own knowledge--knowledge of their subject, but also knowledge for life. Simple things that have shaped and changed my worldview. Anecdotes that I will remember fondly, the realization that even if I don't love the way I'm taught, I can still love the professor and the subject, and I don't have to love the subject to enjoy the class. I think my favorite things were how a few profs opened every class with prayer for us and the investment in my life from all of my profs. I knew I could go to any of them with a question or a need and they would do their best to help. I had some amazing friends, too. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed college much at all without them. They made classes hilarious. They made meals some of the best memories, and the thing I could look forward to on a bad day. They let me give them Captain America temporary tattoos. They taught me how to be a good friend by their own example. We danced, we cried, we laughed, we sang. It was a beautiful hello, and a promising goodbye. There's a Taylor Swift song that says, "Long live the walls we crashed through,/I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you." Maybe our dragons were Math 099 and Shakespeare, learning who to trust and how to be good friends. But I did have the time of my life fighting these dragons. Thank you for making college a time I can remember as one of the best times in my life. You have meant everything to me, and I cannot wait to see you next fall! --Leah |