When it’s mentioned, graduation is often thought about as an ending. A curtain call to all the chaotic and unforgettable moments that happened up until its mention. Sitting in the shoes of a student that is now weeks away from crossing that stage, I can assure you that it is anything but. Graduation is a start to a new beginning. That is what Sacred Heart presented to all of us.
Whether it was a chance to explore something you never had before, meet people who suddenly turned from freshman orientation roommates to lifelong friends, or simply just to go somewhere new – it was a blank canvas we have all gotten to paint on. Graduation is just the next canvas to bring to life as our watercolors dry on the masterpiece known as our Sacred Heart experience.
Being a Pioneer has been an experience unlike anything I could have imagined – especially given the unheralded last three semesters or so we have had to endure. At that same time, it has been so enriching from every single aspect. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we learned just as much outside of these classrooms as we did when we were sweating over the grades and finals within them. Looking back on all our growth, it is substantial. Now preparing to embark on our new journeys as alumni, we can thank all the relationships that helped mold us into who we are today and the lessons we will carry beyond.
That is what has made my Sacred Heart story so special. I can honestly sit here and say the connections, relationships, and memories given to me in my time here are truly priceless. Words do not do it justice. If you were a friend past or present – I thank you, for it’s people like you who make the college experience so unforgettable! When I gave tours as an ambassador for SHU, they would always say how we are a “door-holding” kind of a school, and thinking back on my times with classmates, teammates, and all those in between, I am happy to say that is true.
To my fellow Spectrum board members, I thank you as well, because without you all, none of this would have been possible. Spectrum has given me a place to be myself, a place to collaborate, a place to create and discover. It is thanks to all your hard work that I was able to have these opportunities and look forward to the clock striking noon every Wednesday for the new issues to hit the racks. Thinking back to my freshman year self, I could not have imagined myself being one to write in the senior edition of the university newspaper, but three years later, I am glad to say I did!
Now is not the time to look back on the times we had or the times we may have missed due to this COVID-era senior year being one like no other. Like I said in my first editorial, home is something that does not have a manual to it – it is just something you make your own wherever you go. That is what I believe we should carry forward from this point on – knowing that no matter where we go on the paths that follow us after graduation, we will always have a home here together as Pioneers.
