After I told my family about my decision to go to Colgate University for undergrad, my brothers shared with me that my time at college would go by quickly. These past years have been full of experiences, but my brothers were right in that it would be over sooner than I would believe. It’s amazing what can happen in four years when you really think about it. During my first year at Colgate, I was part of a great group of friends who I thought I would be close to for the rest of my life, but come sophomore year, many of us became too busy. We drifted apart and lost that closeness, but I would soon find a new group of friends who I would be with for the rest of my time.

With only a couple weeks left of my senior year, it is a good time to reflect on my four years at Colgate University. During spring break of my first year, I had ankle surgery which left a scar that will be with me for the rest of my life. I have it because I was being spontaneous with my friends in my first year, which led to me breaking my foot. It was an unfortunate accident, but I find it to be a good reminder that every moment has the potential to have a great impact on your life. I feel like I had many moments like that during my time at Colgate – luckily the rest of them didn’t involve needing to get surgery. Looking on the bright side, though, I would have had no roommate options for my sophomore year had I not broken my foot. Had I not joined an a cappella group (despite my stage fright), I would not have met my boyfriend of two years. Had I chosen different courses my first semester, I would not have become an Environmental Biology-Philosophy double major planning to go into environmental research in Colorado. I find it’s important to appreciate the journey that has led me to where I am today. I am one of those people who believes that everything happens for a reason, so even the events in my life that have been less positive have had their role to play in getting me to this stage of my life.

My time at Colgate has helped me try new things and become more confident in myself. I have made some friends that I strongly believe will stay my friends no matter where the future takes us. College is a unique time where you are independent and have an abundance of opportunities open to you. I say take advantage of what Colgate has to offer because who knows when you’ll get the chance again. One of the best opportunities I took advantage of was joining The Maroon-News. I participated in its pre-orientation as a photographer and have been with the newspaper ever since. I prefer taking pictures of nature, but I learned how to take pictures of people and hone my skills as a photographer. I learned more about what Colgate had to offer and consequently attend more events than I would have, had I been left to my own devices. Eventually, I became the Senior Photography Editor where I learned how to edit photos and manage people. The Maroon-News is not just like any other club for me, it is much more. It has taught me valuable skills – technical and interpersonal – that I am able to take with me into the workforce. Colgate University is not a perfect school, but it was perfect for me. I am sad my time here is coming to an end, but I am also excited because an ending just means that there is a new beginning on the horizon.

Contact Summitt Liu at [email protected].