The transformation from anxious freshmen to graduating seniors is one of personal, professional, spiritual and emotional growth. With graduation under a week away, some seniors have difficulty finding words that would give their experience justice.
Morgan Malhiot, senior communication major, said her graduation rouses mixed emotions. Malhiot sees graduation as an exciting adventure into a world with more responsibilities.
“It’s bitter because you are leaving behind four years of your life – there’s a lot of memories and friends you have made,” Malhiot said. “It’s sad when I start thinking about the friends I might not necessarily see again, but thank God for Facebook. It’s sweet because schoolwork is over, but also because you know you did it. Things are just starting for us – the world is our oyster.”
After a trying year taking classes at Blinn and the death of her grandfather, Malhiot said she was unsure of what the future held in store.
Malhiot said she had to find an inner strength and that her acceptance into the Disney College Program made her feel that everything happens according to God’s plan.
While interning, she received news that she got accepted into A&M, an event that she described one of the highlights of her Aggie experience.
“The whole college experience is something you are never going to get to do again,” Malhiot said. “You hear people say ‘College is the best time – the best four years of my life.’ So, as it is all coming to an end and I’m looking back, I truly think those were the best four years of my life.”
Although everyone’s Aggie experience is unique, Malhiot said everyone shares the journey to self-discovery.
“I think what makes a college experience is being able to find yourself,” Malhiot said. “It’s about coming out of your shell, doing things you would never had done before, and finding out what you want in life.
Graduation seems surreal, said Taylor Russell, senior philosophy major.
The first of his family to attend and graduate college, Russell arrived to A&M not knowing what college would have in store for him. Russell said his time at A&M and volunteering with Breakaway Ministries allowed him to meet friends that influenced self-reflection and led him on a path to self-discovery.
“Breakaway was a huge part of my coming to faith,” Russell said. “When I started going there, I was asking myself ‘What am I doing here?’ I was doing it to just go through the motions. It was an image thing. I wanted people to think I was a good guy. I wanted the image of being a Christian.”
Although some of his family did not support his transition from engineer to philosopher, Russell decided to forge a relationship with God and use his flair for teaching to pursue his passion for Christian ministry.
“As I got more and more involved and became an active member, in combination with friends going through the same things – I decided to change my life for the better,” Russell said.
Brett Hately, senior economics major, said he recently accepted an offer to work at an investment firm in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Hately said now that he has his job in order it’s harder than ever to maintain the mindset of being a college student – even if only for a few more days. Although Hately identifies as an extremely motivated person, he said he found support in his friends in Guide, an organization where he mentored freshman with other students on campus.
“Just being able to watch these mentoring relationships with these freshmen grow has been amazing,” Hatley said. “It’s definitely taught me leadership skills and helped me become friends with some of the most awesome people here on campus.”
Hately said now that he is facing the business world, he sees how invaluable the Aggie network really is, from the spirit of Aggieland to the distinctive gold ring.
“Certainly the Aggie family gives us a degree of reassurance about the future,” Hately said. “We do have an extreme advantage being Aggies, having such a close bond. I think it definitely extends our reach.
Despite his time as a student coming to a close, Hately said he feels as though he is not really leaving Aggieland. Describing his experience as extremely fulfilling, Hately said he feels as though he has made the most of his time as a student and realizes that it’s time to start a new chapter in his life.
“I have really enjoyed my time here at Texas A&M, but it’s time to move on and make the most of things,” Hately said.