With every hello, there has to be a goodbye, and as my five years come to a close, this is mine.
Now that I am leaving and finally saying goodbye to Big Rapids, I cannot stop thinking about how my life has changed and what I have learned both in and out of the classroom. Each day has given me opportunities to either succeed or fail, and luckily I’ve been happy with where my choices have taken me.
This school had become my home for the past five years and I am proud to be a Bulldog. Ferris has given me many opportunities and I thank everyone who has supported me along the way. It was one long journey, but yet at the same time, I still remember the first day as if it were yesterday. With that, I leave you with advice that has stuck with me over the years and I hope you will pass it down when you are a senior.
First of all, love like crazy. I don’t mean going around sleeping with everyone, but just love what you do, love yourself, love who you are with. Without some passion and love in life, we walk around without any meaning. If you don’t love what you do or who you are with, why should anyone else love being with you?
I learned this next one the hard way. After five years I have been involved in many different organizations, and you should get involved, but remember to cherish those nights you do nothing. When your to-do list is a mile long, you will wish for those free nights.
This leads me to my next point: networking. Meet as many people as you can and never stop networking with different people. Campus is buzzing with different people and people from different majors and you never know what will happen in the future.
Next, keep something stable in your life. For me, it was church every Sunday and dinner to follow. The conversations were always amazing as the people gave me strength to push through the next week. I am not saying join a religion or go to church, but find something that you can look forward to every week.
Last, as I look away from my computer, I see my Warren Miller poster staring right back at me with a big “never grow old” slogan on it. It reminds me that no matter how many birthdays I have, I can always be young at heart and live like a kid. As I start to find a big boy job and move away, we must always remember to have fun once in a while because we only have one life.
With that, I hope the rest of you will enjoy your time at Ferris as much as I did. Enjoy the time you have here at college and when you are sitting a week away from graduation like I am, I hope you feel the same. I wish you all the best and God bless.