Out with the old. In with the new.

I can't believe that my first year of college is already coming to an end. Today was the beginning of the last week of classes and then I have finals next Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to the summer, but the end of the year makes me realize how time really does fly by fast. Half the time, I still think I'm a senior in high school. It's so crazy.

This year started off pretty rocky and I was very unhappy and discouraged the first month here. However, I knew that if I didn't do something to change that, then this all would just be a waste of money. Now, I think I've done a pretty decent job with becoming involved and making the most of my first year in college. I served as an on-campus senator for SGA, joined Special Olympics, went back and forth in my head about being an education major (and stuck with administration of justice), and found a close group of friends. I got to see the Boston Celtics play in our gym. I saw the Blue Man Group perform. I spent sunny days at the beach and rainy days jumping in puddles around campus. I surpassed my expectations academically my first semester and earned a high GPA. This semester is a different story (refer to previous post), but c'est la vie. None of this would have been possible if I didn't choose my path through my first year here. Despite the setbacks and the pessimism that I had, I'm glad and relieved that I decided to have a positive outlook on things.

Next year will be better in some ways. First, I was recently elected as the secretary for the executive board on SGA. I'm certainly looking forward to this and many people have told me that it's a great accomplishment for a sophomore. I am also going to be serving as a student mentor in the fall and I'm excited for this too! We have a great group of student mentors and I can already tell that we are going to be close to one another. Finally, I will be living here with three of my friends next year...

We're very excited to be living here with each other... especially when it comes to decorating our room!

However, all the new changes will mean that I will have to say goodbye to the things and people that I have gotten accustomed to this year. I have been very fortunate to have met a wonderful group of seniors at school and they have had a great impact on my first year here.

The president, vice-president, and secretary of the current SGA e-board have made me feel welcome since day one when I joined SGA. They were there to help me overcome my fear of heights, encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone and try new things, and acted as role models throughout the year. Also, another senior here has absolutely gone out of her way to take me under her wing and show me the ropes of what Salve is all about. She has made me feel comfortable when I wanted to leave, kept me sane when I was about to go crazy, and convinced me that this school isn't really all that bad. She is so involved with this school and I only hope that I can accomplish half of the things that she has done in the past four years that she has been here! I have been blessed to have gotten so close with her over this past year and a piece of my heart will certainly be missing when she graduates in a few short weeks! Love you forever, RER :) You're the best!

But regardless of all of this, I know change is inevitable and I will welcome it when the time comes. Next year will be different, but I am hoping to make the most of it, as I always do. :)

“We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude."

-- Charles R. Swindoll