It’s a strange, bittersweet feeling knowing graduation is right around the corner. Sometimes I hate even talking about it because it makes leaving feel so real, and my mind starts running everywhere. Part of me is so proud of how far I’ve come, and another part isn’t ready to let go of everything that made Tufts feel like home.
Every time I think about what I’ll miss the most, the answer is always easy: the people. My friends who became family, the familiar faces, the little moments that somehow meant everything. I’ll miss the variety of courses Tufts has to offer too, starting my day with morning yoga, heading to the gym for weight training, and then taking a trip to a museum for my dinosaur class. And somehow, in the midst of it all, I still got to take classes that truly changed me, like Psychology of Anti-Black Racism and Global Health. Every class, especially within my majors in Clinical Psychology and Community Health and my minor in Child Studies & Human Development, shaped the way I think, care, and move through the world. And the professors made that growth possible.
It’s also hard because this is where our paths start to split in real ways. Some of my friends are staying for a plus one, some are heading off to grad school somewhere new, others are stepping straight into the workforce, and some are taking a break. There’s no single direction, no one “right” next step, it’s just all of us figuring it out in our own time, in our own ways.
College really does go by so quickly. It’s years of growth, change, and discovery packed into what feels like a blink. I’ve been lucky enough to dip my foot into so many communities, from the Women’s Center, to working at Cohen, to being part of Tufts Admissions, and each space gave me something I’ll carry with me long after I leave.
I knew when I applied early decision I was in love with Tufts. Four years later, I feel the same way. As scary as it is to move on, I know one thing for sure, no matter where we end up, we’ll always be Jumbos.