Goodbye, Cal

Over the last couple days, I finished up graduation week, moved my things out of my apartment, and closed the chapter on college.

Cal has been such a journey, adventure, and challenge all wrapped into one amazing experience. There are some things I kind of regret doing, some things I wish I’d done, but I wouldn’t trade these memories for the world.

Believe it or not, I was actually thisclose to going to UCLA, but decided to stay close to home.  My freshman year, I kind of regretted this decision.  But through my time here at Cal, I know I made the right choice.

Classes were tough and the most competitive I’d ever been in. Sometimes it brought out my competitive fire. Other times it just plain frustrated me. And a couple times, it pushed me to switch majors. But through classes, I was able to discover and learn things that I felt strongly about.

I went from an intended Molecular Cell Biology major hoping to become a cancer researcher my freshman year to a graduating Business Administration and Public Health double major excited to make an impact in the health and non-profit world. Classes at Berkeley really changed me and showed me my true passions. I’m going to really miss just simply being in class, listening to a professor lecture.

Being my busy self, I also kept active outside of school, taking part in DeCal Board, Cal Do Something, Student Health Advisory Committee, and Camp Kesem. I’ve had the privilege and honor of meeting, working with, and becoming friends with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. You guys are all going to go really far in life and create change, I know it. Yup, you. I can’t wait to see the impact you make on the world.

My work outside of classes kept things exciting and I think I probably learned more through it than in the classroom. A lot of that real-world, practical doing can’t be done through textbooks and lectures. You have to actually go do it. I feel fortunate to have been at a university bustling with student activity, with clubs and organizations to fit any passion I wanted to pursue.

I think my friend said it best with “there’s nowhere else I’d rather have learned to live.” Good or bad, Berkeley has taught me a lot about life.

But now it’s on to bigger and better things.

Goodbye, Cal. Until we meet again…

It won’t ever be the same, but thank you so much for the experiences and the memories :)