My time here has felt like an eternity but also felt like less than a minute. 

As I start out my farewell, I need to give credit where credit is most due. A big thank you must be given to my peers, my family, my parents, and my friends—even the ones that were not here until the end. Most importantly a big thank you to faculty and staff like Ron Allman, professor and coordinator of journalism and media, Shane Thomas, director of the Advising Center for Exploratory Students (ACES), and others who touched my education, no matter how big or small, while I was here. 

I have always enjoyed school and learning and being a student, but this final round has enveloped me completely. I have fallen in love with IU Southeast more than I thought I ever could have. In my eyes, the rendition of our campus has only grown with beauty in my time here. My heart belongs to this school as much as I felt that I belonged in it. 

As a first generation student, I was very lost coming into my college career. I was on my own on choosing what I wanted to do. My only advice—and probably the best advice— came from my parents who said to “follow my heart and do what I love.” 

And that was exactly what I did. I began as an “exploratory student” and ACES took me in. Through ACES I was paired with an outstanding advisor, Thomas, who advised me until my third year—the longest you can wait to declare. He guided me to take the right courses that reached all of my interests from psychology to creative writing, which are the minors I will graduate with, to the social media side of journalism. 

When I declared my new major, I chose to go to the journalism department, where I met Professor Allman. He got to learn all about my thought processes from my anxious thoughts to society as a whole. Even though I only had one in-person class with Professor Allman, he has helped make this last chapter even more memorable. 

As for my peers, you have given me an incredulous amount of genuine respect and care that I wished I would’ve allowed myself to accept earlier on in my college career. 

For those who graduate this May with me, I’m so proud of you and I am so glad I get to share my moment of celebration with people like you all. 

For those that are still on their college journeys, I believe in you. You are worthy of your own time, effort, and education. Do what you love and it is very normal to be confused about anything and everything, but make sure to take care of yourself above all else. 

Thank you IUS. I will probably see you again though, so there is no good-bye.