Photo by Hannah-Elyse Konyecsni

In just a couple of days I will no longer be a Trinity student. This is a statement that, while completely true, feels weird and wrong. For the better part of the last four years most of my tears, celebrations and aspirations have, in one way or another, surrounded this school. It can be hard to move on, especially when your whole life the only thing you’ve ever really done is be a student. Every graduating senior can speak to the mixed emotions of these last few weeks on campus. On one hand, I’m ready to leave college life and get started with what’s next. On the other hand, being a full-blown adult is terrifying.

However, having new dreams in front of me has helped with the process of growing up, even if those plans include not growing up at all. Two weeks after I walk the stage of Laurie, I will move to Walt Disney World to start the Disney College Program. For the next eight months, I will have the chance to work and live at Walt Disney World. Doing this program after graduation has been a goal of mine nearly the entire time I’ve been at Trinity, and working for Disney in general has been a dream of mine for well over a decade.

I’m not pretending that my post-grad life is going to be some sort of magical fantasyland where all I’ll do is go to Disney parks (even though I will definitely make it seem that way on my Instagram). I will be working long hours in the parks and most likely melting in the Florida heat. But even despite this reality, I am still so excited to see what happens on my program and to see what doors it opens for me. It doesn’t hurt that I will be able to say that I live at my favorite place in the entire world (in case you were wondering, the ranking is 1. Disney, 2. Trinity, 3. IKEA).

I think my time at Trinity has prepared me for this next step in life. I’ve learned to think on my feet and solve any problem that comes my way. I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I’ve also learned how to bounce back from them. I’ve built relationships with some of the best people in the world who I know will be there for me through the rest of my life. I can’t pretend that I know what’s next after Disney, but that seems like a problem for later. Maybe I’ll just stay there forever. I know I don’t have to everything figured out right now, but maybe sometime in the next 20 years I’ll get it together.

Also, before you ask: no, I can’t get you free Disney tickets.