It is shocking to think that I am already leaving La Sierra University after three short years. I owe it to all the wonderful people I have befriended on campus to the growing experience I have had over these past years. Had it not been for the community I have encountered as a student at LSU, I would not have had such a joyful and positive experience during my college career as I have had so far.
And that is what I believe truly imparts on me a sense of sadness when I think about my looming graduation date—that in less than two weeks I will be leaving this campus and the amazing people I grew up with for three years. Of course, I will still try to maintain friendships to the best of my ability after graduation, but really, things will not be the same once I no longer enjoy the privilege of living with my friends on campus.
What I have come to value greatly about enjoying the privilege of living with my friends on campus is the growth that has come along with sharing everyday life experiences with them. I believe I have become a happier and better person because of my friends. Each one of them has inspired me to change for the better by simply being themselves, and I am grateful to have them in my life.
If there is anything profound yet uncomplicated that I have come to realize as a result of graduating in three years, it is that cultivating healthy relationships with others is undoubtedly important in life. Without the people I have met, my college experience would have been austere and uneventful. To people who find themselves feeling as if time moves too quickly, my advice is simple. Spend quality time with the people who matter the most to you.
It is never too late to turn a living room into a dance studio to learn choreography with your friends, go hiking along a stream in nighttime downpour with some brave souls, assemble a plate of fresh pasta and sauce with your fellow sous chefs, hit the streets of downtown LA for a photoshoot with your favorite fashionistas, or crowd around a table to play Minecraft till the early AM’s with your night owl nestmates. It is NEVER too late to begin appreciating your friends and family a little more, and showing them how much they matter to you.
— Brian Hwang, Class of 2019