I’ve really had to think hard about the last three years because so much has happened. In reality, they feel a lot like a blur, with alarms set before sunrise, rushing out the door half-awake, bouncing between work, school, home, and hitting “submit” on assignments way too close to the deadline. It’s the kind of exhaustion that settles in when you’re constantly trying to be in five different places at once. I learned how to take power naps on the train (please don’t do that), how to work in loud spaces, and how to exist in the in-between spaces of my life. There were easier weeks, sure, but never slow weeks.
Despite all the struggles, I best remember the smaller moments that made it all manageable. I want to thank all of my fellow spend-all-our-money foodies, hours-long café studiers, walking-the-length-of-the-Hudson-ers, and even my favorite Stute room gossipers (you know who you are!). Those moments of spilling major tea, honking at geese, and scribbling notes on the UCC South window with Manhattan in the background gave me so much dopamine and excuses to stay out just a little longer. I’ve realized those small joys made everything feel lighter and kept me going during busy weeks, so thank you to everyone who walked through the mud with me and shared those moments along the way.
I walked into Stevens feeling anxious about living as a commuter from out of state, worried that I wouldn’t get a good college experience. Later, I found myself stressed about having to max out my part-time hours just to afford being here. I can’t give an honest depiction of my Stevens story without mentioning that those sacrifices did have an impact. There were moments when I felt stretched impossibly thin, when it seemed like the hours in the day were never enough to get everything done. Joining The Stute was one of the first decisions I made, and it got the ball rolling for me. I’ll always be grateful that layouting was flexible enough to fit into my schedule, and it gave me a calming, creative outlet that reminded me that I still had time to fit in my old hobbies.
Even so, it didn’t take long to realize I wasn’t the only one juggling so much. So many students are balancing work, commuting, volunteering, and applications on top of their schoolwork and orgs, and that struggle is so real. With that, I especially want to give extra congratulations to the First-Generation and/or Limited Income (FGLI) graduating seniors and anyone who has dealt with extra financial stress in their college career. To the students who are still in a frenzy of balancing everything with their courses, it’s a major struggle, but it will pay off. Learning to push myself and find ways to thrive while, admittedly, barely holding it together, created the best memories I’ve made here. I’ll still be figuring life out as I go, just without homework stacking up as fast. After everything here, I trust that the Class of 2026 is more than ready to handle it.
