One of my favorite topics in this life is love. There is so much of it in our world and in me. I really feel like I loved hard and unashamedly at Smith, and I continue to do so wherever I am. 

Love can mean different things, but I consider love to be closest to bell hooks’s definition, which is about action, work, and effort. I put a lot of work into my life at Smith. It took a lot of work to have a good relationship with my time at Smith because it was hard. It was hard for me to be so far away from home. It was hard for me to study for all my classes. It was hard to play collegiate sports. It was hard having a long-distance relationship. It was hard to go through the aches and pains of discovering myself. It was hard to go through heartbreak.

But all of it was worth it.

The level of effort it takes to still be OK and motivated and to think fondly of my time at Smith, even when it was hard, is nothing short of being in love and connected with life. Being at Smith meant a lot to me. Being alive means a lot to me. Our connection to things larger than us, whether it’s your education, your family, your neighbors, your God, that connection is what keeps us going. It’s a miracle.

When I look back at my time at Smith, I’m nostalgic and proud. It was a great place for me to work hard, learn, and love. I’m always thankful for my time at Smith and the people who were my strength. An institution like Smith is only created and maintained if there is love.