Often, when I share that my first year at Bucknell started in the fall of 2020 I am met with sympathetic responses and pity for the experiences I must’ve missed out on. Regardless of Covid rules, isolation, social distancing and an abnormal first year, I would never opt to trade my experiences from the past four years. I would not risk losing the people this path led me to meet, the organizations I joined, events I’ve attended and resources I’ve utilized. Thankful for both the challenges and successes I’ve had, I am lucky to leave Bucknell with the many lessons it has taught me. With a mere few nights left in Lewisburg, it is comforting to reflect and reminisce on my thoughts prior to 2020 move in.

I remember the feeling of knowing Bucknell before I truly knew Bucknell. It did not yet hold any significance in my life but its potential as new and foreign unexplored territory kept me constantly excited. I remember the Bucknell Campus when I didn’t know every building. When walking down to a different dorm felt like an adventure and finding a new study room was motivating. I remember when walking across the quad was an encounter with dozens of unfamiliar faces and meeting new people felt never ending. 

I remember when the smell of the Bison and the view of the quad sunset were not habitual experiences. When classes were to discover possible subjects I might enjoy or pursue, and when classwork felt like unserious prep for a far off future career. I remember the feeling coming back at the beginning of each new semester taking for granted that it wouldn’t happen forever. 

Bucknell as the bubble it is has not changed but as a senior it has gotten smaller and more full. The magical feeling that surrounded its essence is not gone but is now viewed through a new set of eyes. The foreign territory is a place I miss when I am away. The unknown spaces I explored are those that now bring me comfort. A walk across the quad is rarely alone, and unfamiliar faces are few and far between. Classes feel like the final lessons I can take with me before a journey and career that feels too soon to even call the future. Not returning for another fall semester is gut wrenching, to lose the comfort I have found in a place for four years.

I can only recommend finding the positive whenever you can. Even if it is an abnormal first year or a challenge that arises you can take advantage of who and where it leads you to. I am grateful for all the resources I have been able to take advantage of and organizations I had the honor of being a part of. Above all I am thankful for the three years I spent with The Bucknellian as a writer and editor. I am saddened by the thought but excited to keep up with the paper as a subscriber next year!