“I always see you around.”
As someone who’s lived on campus for all four years, it really is my home. I love seeing friendly faces around campus and at events. After four years, I still maintain that the best part of Stevens truly is the people you meet.
Every defining moment in my college experience has featured friends I made along the way. From celebrating the highs of receiving my internship offers or winning awards, and the lows of rejections and adjusting to switching majors, my friends have been there through it all.
Although we have some recurring cast members, as evidenced by my semesterly Instagram posts, my friendships have changed over the years. The best decision I ever made was choosing to become involved on campus, as it gave me the opportunity to make new friends, even well into my senior year.
The Stute was the first organization I joined on campus and remains the only one from freshman year that I am actively involved in. Four years ago, I arrived at the Flock Party perfectly on time and went right to The Stute’s table because I was so eager to become involved. I always loved writing and wished that I were more involved in high school. I knew that joining The Stute would help me come out of my shell and be more active in campus life. So, I joined Fall 2021, evolving from being a copy editor, to a writer, to becoming the first Features Editor and later Opinion Editor.
During my time in The Stute, I was able to talk to people on campus that I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten the chance to. Every single interview I had or article I wrote brought me closer to the community on campus. I loved hearing student stories and being a part of telling Stevens’ history.
My extracurricular activities, particularly The Stute and my sorority, Theta Phi Alpha, afforded me opportunities and experiences that I never would’ve dreamed of. I am grateful that both organizations played a tremendous role in my personal growth and helped me expand my friendships across campus.
As I reflect on my senior year, I feel great knowing that I remained active on campus throughout it all. Upon graduation, I won’t live with the regret of wishing I was more involved. Throughout the years, at so many gatherings that I have attended, I have had strangers mention that they have seen me around campus, have read my articles in the paper, or even recognized me from specific events. This collection of interactions is what I consider to be my greatest achievement during college. Coming into college as a shy teenager, unsure if she would ever find her people, it is absolutely wonderful to know that I was seen and have made some sort of impact during my time here.
To any underclassmen reading this, I won’t lie, things can be difficult. For every winning moment in my story, there is definitely a moment where I felt unsure of myself. My biggest piece of advice is to try not to look down on yourself because you never know who is looking up to you. On this campus, you matter. You just have to find your voice and your people to share that with.
For seniors and rising seniors, we all know one of the hardest parts of this chapter is taking a step back from the organizations we have given our all to. It can be tempting to let yourself fade into the background, but your presence matters. Even as we reach the end, don’t stop being involved. Don’t stop making friends. Be there for underclassmen the way others were there for you.
Remember, you live on in the lives of everyone on campus you have ever impacted.
For anyone who’s been there for the late nights, crashouts, coffee dates, and more — this article is dedicated to you.
