Sara Senesac
Staff Writer
To my fellow 2020 classmates, I first want to tell you that I’m so sorry for everything that has been taken from you.
Whether it’s missing your final dance performance, your last season with your teammates, or your last printed issue of The Gatepost – we have all found our lives turned upside down in the last month.
All of our future plans have been put on hold. Internships have been cancelled, graduation has been postponed, and job hunting in this new online world feels particularly intimidating.
You may be mourning time lost with friends, professors, and classmates, and wondering what your life is going to be like moving forward. We have found ourselves suddenly thrust into adulthood and real- world problems far sooner than we could have anticipated.
However you may be feeling right now – sad, angry, stressed, confused – I want you to know that those feelings are valid. It’s OK to not be OK right now.
I want you to know that if you’re up tossing and turning every night from the uncertainty of your future, that’s OK. I’m right there with you.
If you 2nd yourself crying about missing your roommates, that’s OK. I’m lonely, too.
If you feel like giving up during these last three weeks of classes, and 2nd yourself asking “What’s even the point anymore?” That’s OK, too. Nobody expects you to be perfect right now.
But no matter what demons you are fighting or what doubts you may have, I want you to remember how amazing you are and how far you have come.
Think of how many nights you have spent in the lower mezzanine, studying for finals until the bell rings at 2 a.m. Think of all the times you’ve been hunched over your textbooks in Red Barn, with your large Milky Way latte to get you through that last chapter.
Think of all the early morning practices on Maple Field, the countless lines rehearsed on the stage in DPAC, and the satisfying feeling of finally coming out of the sewing lab with a finished garment.
We may never again get up before the sun to greet runners at Mile 6. We might never get another chance to laugh over Grille mozzarella sticks on a late Thursday night. And we may never get one last slide down Maynard Road after a winter storm.
But despite all the RAMtastic things we may miss, we still have so much to look forward to.
Though the days may seem bleak now, always remember you are successful, you are smart, and you are accomplished. Graduating from college is no easy feat. Be proud of yourself for pushing forward.
No matter what, we are in this together. If we can get through this, we can get through anything. And I promise you opportunity will be waiting for us when this is all over.