Today I turned in the final paper of my freshman year at the University of Florida.
It's surreal in many ways. For one, the year passed much quicker than I expected. It seems just yesterday I moved into my dorm- a communal triple, so the most "college" dorm I could have- knowing only a handful of people out of the 50,000 students on campus with no idea what clubs I would join, what college classes would be like, or even how to get to the dining hall without my phone for directions.
Looking back I realize just how little I had known what to expect, I certainly wouldn't have thought I'd be where I am now: well adjusted, involved in the leadership of multiple clubs I'm passionate about, on the Presidential Honor Roll for a 4.0 this semester, full of Gator pride, and able to find my way around campus without Google Maps! Seriously, I can't stress enough how big of an accomplishment it was for me to walk around campus without having to look up how to get there for the first time :)
Second, of course, is the fact I turned in my last assignment and spent the last month and a half of the year at home, two states away, because of a worldwide pandemic- definitely not something I would've put my money on happening when I stepped on campus in August.
COVID-19 has certainly put a big roadblock on my life- club events have been cancelled for the rest of the semester, including an Easter Festival for TOPSoccer I was involved in planning, the development of a recruitment/donor video for Gators for Refugee Medical Relief, and multiple certification dives for my advanced and scientific diving class. But almost more important than that, I've gotten to see just how resilient and dedicated those around me are, from the clubs that almost instantly began plans to continue their efforts virtually to the professors that dealt with endless frustrations trying to make the online transition as smooth and as little of a disruption to our learning as possible.
I don't know what the future will hold or even when I will be allowed to return to the campus that has quickly become home to me, but this year has certainly been enriching, memorable, full of personal development, and incredible, regardless. The things I've learned, ways I've grown, people I've met, friends I've made, and opportunities I've had outshadow the less-than-ideal finale of this year, and I'm all the more excited for the next one.
Go Gators!
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