"Lasts" and "Firsts"

Tragic news for all of my fans out there...this is my final entry in the GSE Admissions blog! Graduation is just over a week away, and last night I attended my last class in my master's degree program. Today, I had lunch with Alyssa, my supervisor, as a last hurrah before my last day of work on Thursday. Those are just a few of the many "lasts" I've been having lately...

...my last campus visit planning experience
...my last GSE Admissions staff meeting
...my last GSE exam (due tomorrow--eek!)
...my last cookie Thursday (two days away!)

Oh my GOODNESS, so many "lasts"...here's hoping there are just as many "firsts" coming my way...

...a first real, full-time job!...that pays well...???
...my first time living in a new place where I know pretty much no one!
...my first extended period of time going home to an evening of no homework!

Thanks to my academic experience so far, I feel confident about all of these "firsts"! GSE has prepared me to be an effective worker in whatever job I find, being a student away from home has prepared me to live in a new place among strangers, and being a fun-loving HUMAN has prepared me to relax a bit and enjoy life without homework!

I'm going to miss many great things about GSE once I'm gone. I love talking to the many different people who work here, and I've loved learning how to work with different people simply because the ones I work with now are all so unique! I'm also going to miss working with Jamey, my fellow GA and now my very good friend! It's going to be strange not seeing him most days of each week, and I'm selfishly glad that he'll be at Penn for the next four years because it means I know where to go to find him! I'll miss my professors, and their crazy smarts! And, assuming that my job takes me elsewhere, I'm going to miss Philadelphia...its proximity to my family, its vibrant neighborhoods, and its unique spirit! And I'm DEFINITELY going to miss spreading joy through cookies every Thursday!

So it's on to new places and new adventures for me, but for many of you, the adventure is only beginning! Wherever you go, whether to Penn or to some other wonderful graduate program, I wish you all the very best! Go where your hearts lead you, and don't look back!

"On the road to success, one thing is certain--there is never a crowd on the extra mile."