College is quite the journey. Graduating from CSUSM in less than two weeks has me looking back on this adventure of mine. This road has taken me six full years to complete and not a moment was wasted.

Leaving CSUSM is a very joyous and bittersweet event for me. I went to CSUSM as a transfer student in fall 2013 with the goal of leaving fast. I wanted one thing from this school and that was to get my degree. I knew attending this campus would be a temporary season in my life. What I didn’t know was that I would leave this school with so much more than my bachelor’s in psychology.

I have studied under professors who have mentored me, nurtured my love of learning and inspired me in my career goals. I have met students at this school who have become lifelong friends. I have taken classes that have pushed me farther than I thought possible and have equipped me for life after graduation. I have walked on campus at 7 a.m. while all is quiet and calm and at night when the campus emits a warm glow and the stars shine.

I have all but lived in the Social and Behavioral Science Building as well as Markstein Hall. I’ve sat in the library for hours, studying and writing term papers. I’ve had meaningful conversations about life with friends and with mentors that will stay with me forever. CSUSM is my school, soon to be my alma mater.

So to those who aren’t yet graduating, let me just say that your time is quickly approaching and will be here before you know it. Try to be patient and enjoy the experience. You’ll look back at all of the laughter, hard work, sleepless nights, fun times, tears and persistence and see that it is these memories that make graduating college meaningful.

To my fellow graduates in the class of 2016, we did it! As our final finals week is upon us, let us stop for a moment and let it all sink in. This journey might be coming to a close, but a new one is just on the horizon for each of us.

When we all turn in our very last essay or finish our very last test of our undergraduate career, let us walk out of the classroom, take a look around campus and smile. We’ve become CSUSM alumni and are leaving a legacy as we begin the next exciting chapter of life.