Thinking about walking across the stage of Laurie in less than one month almost seems surreal. I know (God willing) I will graduate, but for some reason it’s hard to envision. I can’t lie; I’m scared to leave the cocoon of college life and to venture into the unknown world of adulthood. I find myself asking questions like “Who will I be now? Where will life take me? Will everything be okay?” I remember running into similar questions and feelings of apprehension at another transitional moment in my life. This transitional moment was roughly four years ago, when I made the decision to attend Trinity. I knew I was going to Trinity, but it was hard to envision it actually happening. Then, in the heat of early August, it was upon me; I was here. What I didn’t know then was that Trinity would bring me a lot of happiness and really great times.
Rather than talk about the tiles of Miller Fountain as a metaphor for the mosaic of our lives or something cliché like that, I want to focus on things that really matter. One of my most cherished memories of Trinity is watching the sun go down from my balcony on Thomas 5. I know you may think, “It’s a balcony how could it be that important?” But it’s who I shared time with on that balcony that makes it so meaningful. The friends I’ve made here will be friends for life. They have seen me at my worst (when I got the flu during finals week junior year) and at my best (eating smart food on the floor). We’ve laughed and we’ve cried and we’ve done a whole hell of a lot in between. I will miss all of my friends dearly.
As my cognitive psych class has taught me, times of transition form our most salient memories. My hope is that this next stage in my life can bring me half as much joy as Trinity has. To my fellow seniors: while we leave Trinity with heavy hearts and anxiety about our futures, it’s important to remember that the friendships we have made will last us through our transitional times and help us navigate our unwritten futures. Thank you, Trinity, for making the past four years of my life an unforgettable and amazing experience. In the immortal words of Vitamin C, “As we go on, we remember, all the times we, had together, and as our lives change, come whatever, we will still be friends forever.”
Madeline Estes is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in physcology with a minor in art history.
