The Years That Made Me

I came into college thinking I had everything figured out.

Freshman year I started as a Graphic Design major. I really thought that was going to be my path. I liked creating things and being behind visuals and branding, and at the time it felt like the perfect fit. I pictured myself working in design, building a career that was creative and structured at the same time.

But honestly, as time went on, I started realizing I wanted something different. I became really interested in Luxury Fashion and Lifestyle PR. I loved the idea of being closer to the world behind the brands, especially influencers and celebrities and how everything is curated and presented. I wanted to be part of that world in a more direct way, not just designing for it. That’s when I decided to switch my major to Advertising and Public Relations, and it felt like the first time I was actually choosing something that matched who I was becoming instead of who I thought I was supposed to be.

One of the biggest parts of my college experience was joining Alpha Omicron Pi sophomore year. I didn’t really know what to expect going into it, but it ended up being one of the most life changing decisions I made in college. It gave me a sense of community I didn’t even realize I was missing.

Then junior year I moved into the sorority house, and that year honestly shaped everything for me. Living there made everything feel closer, louder, and more real in the best way. It’s where me and my best friends really became inseparable. Late nights, random kitchen conversations, getting ready together, laughing over nothing. It all adds up to something I know I will miss forever.

And speaking of them, I met my three best friends through Grand Valley State University, and they completely changed my life. I genuinely do not know who I would be without them. They brought out the best parts of me, supported me through everything, and made even the most stressful college moments feel manageable just by being there. I got really lucky with them in a way I don’t think I fully understood until now.

It’s crazy how fast everything goes. People tell you college flies by and you kind of believe them, but you don’t actually feel it until you are at the end of it looking back. I wish I could go back sometimes and live it all over again, not to change anything, just to slow it down and appreciate it more while I was in it.

Now, I realize it was never really just about the major or the classes or even the plans I had for my future. It was about the people, the growth, and becoming someone I didn’t even know I was capable of becoming when I first started. I guess that is what makes this ending so hard and so exciting at the same time.

And now it ends with a diploma, but it all begins with everything that got me here.