I’m sure that many of my classmates would agree that our freshman year did not feel like the ‘real’ Bucknell. Despite the university’s best efforts, it was difficult to connect with others and make the most of the many opportunities that were typically available on campus for first years. Once mandates were lifted and school began to feel a bit more like the Bucknell I know now, I didn’t want to let any opportunity pass me by. My sophomore year, I joined Chi Phi and found an amazing community. My acapella group, Beyond Unison, was able to begin rehearsing in full swing, where I made some of my favorite memories and even got to perform at Radio City Music Hall as an opener for the Rockettes. I even had the opportunity to summit Kilimanjaro with OEL, where I found a new sense of confidence and realized just how much I was capable of. On campus, I also filled my days with rehearsals honing my craft of acting and singing through Bucknell Theatre and Bucknell Voice. During my time in these programs, I have gotten closer to becoming the artist that I aspire to be. I feel so fortunate to have had the chance to direct the One Act Play that Goes Wrong, to perform for the Bucknell community on stag, and to receive funding that allowed me to study at the Tom Todoroff Conservatory while attending Bucknell. I am so thankful for all of the people who made these experiences possible, and so memorable.

Throughout my journey here at Bucknell, I’ve often found myself wishing that I could warp time. Some days, I wished that I could make time move faster– the days would drag on as I did my best to complete the long list of tasks in front of me. Homework and assignments, along with multiple rehearsals, classes, and social events, made the days feel never-ending. But then somehow, by Sunday, the entire week was in the rearview mirror in what felt like an instant. Those weeks turned to months, those months turned to semesters, and suddenly I was faced with a looming graduation date and a year’s worth of ‘last times.’ The performances and concerts I had worked so hard to prepare for daily suddenly were over; the events and formals I had marked on my calendar came and went. During my time at Bucknell, I often felt like I was finding my way out of a maze. My vision was obstructed with the maze’s tall walls of obligations and deadlines. With each assignment finished and each milestone passed, another turn was approaching for me to navigate. But then suddenly, without warning, a final turn in the maze was taken and the walls disappeared to an open sky. There is still a part of me that wishes that I could turn around and go back in. But I know, as I reflect on my time at Bucknell, that each turn and obstacle has led me and prepared me to carve my own path.