A farewell and thanks to Liberty
There comes a time in your life when you can step back and smile, content with how you lived, who you loved, and what you’ve accomplished. I, on the other hand, hope I never get there.
In my opinion, you can never do enough in your life. There is just too much going on, and I’ve found myself regretting the fact that I haven’t done enough. For myself, for those I love and most importantly, for God.
I was told it would be a good idea to write a “farewell” article, but I see it necessary, rather, to write a plea to those who take their college experience for granted.
As much as you hate taking an 8:50 a.m. general studies class, or the fact that you are forced to attend Convo three times a week, you would be surprised at how much you have learned once it is over. You will also come to grips with the reality that you are going to miss it.
If there is anything that I can say to guide you, it would be to take the opportunities that are thrust upon you, no matter the size, and roll with them. It’s not worth going through life worried about whether you are making the right decisions, it is only worth making a decision in the first place.
What Liberty University did for me is more than I can explain. I was a young Christian from the farmland of upstate New York who found refuge at a university built on a mountain of possibilities.
Although I do not always agree with everything that Liberty does, Liberty was, and always will be, an amazing university. The atmosphere around campus is uplifting, and coming from a place with a population of less than 800, the camaraderie and the quality of education is above anything I could have asked for.
I want to thank the university and its administration for grounding me in my faith and helping me believe that there is a real purpose for me in the world. Learning from the spiritual leaders around campus has left a major impact on my life.
I also want to thank Liberty for helping me with my patience, through long waits on the phone listening to the same message about finishing my financial aid and reminders about signing up for all the groups and clubs on campus that really don’t apply to me. Also, I want to thank you for switching my advisor more times than I can count, in turn, confusing me on what classes I needed to take to graduate. If you didn’t understand, that was all supposed to be funny, but also true.
In all honesty though, I want to thank the professors for supplying me with all the information I need to do what I love. You have given me the confidence to pursue anything I want and take it by storm.
It has also been a pleasure just for a short time here at the Liberty Champion to learn, fail and become a better person, as well as a better writer. If it weren’t for the long Sundays and Mondays in the office, I would not have really understood a small part of what a larger newsroom will feel like. Journalism is a 24 hour, 365 day job and I love it. You will all be missed.
I have one last thought for those of you who can’t wait for school to end for good. Take it from me, when you get to your last semester, you will ask yourself where it all went because it really does go by that fast. You will also think back and wonder if there was anything else you could have done. I hope you say yes, because if you let your life reach contentment, it is not a life worth living.
Never forget to embrace what God has to offer you. Farewell “LU,” and a humble thank you.