I realized today
That the reason
"Alumni" is a title
That terrifies me
Is because
College has never been
About the grades, the work,
Or even the degree.
It has never been about the goal,
It's been about the process.
What has mattered in college
Is the people,
The experience,
And the lessons and abilities I have learned
The reason I'm scared for college to end
Is because I dread
The experience
Being over
It's not that I don't
Want a degree and a diploma
It's simply that,
I'm afraid.
I'm afraid that community
Ends after college.
I'm afraid that learning ends
In the workforce.
Im afraid that the growth
Will be dulled.
And life will become grey.
Yet.
Life doesn't end when college does.
People don't stop existing
After you walk across that stage.
Learning doesn't stop,
Even when you're middle aged,
And even when you're old.
The college experience may be done
But the life experience isn't.
There are benchmarks to accomplish,
People to meet,
Lessons to learn,
And ways to grow,
Even- and especially- after college ends.
Sincerely,
A Future Alumni.
05/20/23