As I reflect on my time here in the rolling hills of Allegany, I’m not sure where to begin my farewell. It seems like yesterday I was moving here for the first time, starting a “new chapter.” In the blink of an eye, I became a 22-year-old who finished his undergraduate coursework about a semester early, left unsure of what the future holds.
This goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway; in my three and a half years here, I have changed so much. I gained interests and went places I thought I would never go, and I made so many unforgettable memories along the way. Every time I visit another school, I am reminded of how different this place is compared to the rest of the nation and the world. I am so thankful that I got to know it so well. It, and the people that I came to know and love within it, will always have a special place in my heart.
Being an avid sports fan, for as long as I can remember, I never expected an A10 college basketball team to become one of my top interests and passions. I made my fondest memories here through my experiences at those games, running through campus to the RC in shorts and a t-shirt when it was sub-25 degrees, taking road trips to Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C. and Brooklyn and hopping on a bus to Dayton and back to watch them, my favorite team, play and win its first NCAA Tournament game since 2012 against UCLA. And, getting back to campus at 7 a.m. the next morning and going to my 10:30 a.m. class. I wouldn’t trade those times for the world.
As for my education, I came here as an undeclared business major without a clue of what I wanted to do when I graduated. The next semester, I decided to enroll myself as a strategic communications major, and I have thus spent the remainder of my academic career taking classes within the Jandoli School of Communication, where I met some all-time great people.
I would like to thank Professor Ann Lee, Dr. Richard Lee and Professor Mike Jones-Kelley for all of their help and guidance throughout my time at the J-School. And, thank you all for convincing me to go to Oxford with you. Because it’s not often a kid going to a school of 2,000 students in the Southern Tier of New York State gets to spend six weeks at one of the world’s most prestigious universities, and truthfully, one of the world’s coolest places.
I would like to thank the rest of the J-School’s staff and all of the professors I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the classroom with over the years for channeling my scholastic passions and curiosities. I’m proud to have studied within such a well-respected program with some of the best and smartest professors and lecturers that there are.
I’d also like to thank the rest of the university’s staff. Thank you to the people in the athletic department that I worked with while I was getting my internship hours. Thank you to the people working in Café La Verna, the RC Café and the Hickey who prepared a lot of the food I ate in my time here. Thank you to those working in Safety and Security for watching mine and everybody’s back these last few years. Thank you to those library employees who stayed there until close with me all those times when I was finishing papers and assignments. Thank you to the good people working at The Burton for introducing me to what I think is one of the world’s best burgers, and to the good people working at the OP for helping me and my fellow Bonnies enjoy our nights out. And, of course, a big thank you to the people at the BV. Thank you all for your good will and hospitality. It’s been such a pleasure knowing you.
I’d like to thank my friends and roommates, current and former, who have become my family over the years for putting up with me on an everyday basis, because I know that was not always an easy task. Thank you for being there for me when times were difficult. Thank you for helping to create the memories that we did, and may we never, ever forget them.
I would like to thank my family for sticking by me since day one of my journey, the only people on earth who have been with me that long. Thank you all for your love and faith and support. Thank you for always believing in me when I sometimes did not believe in myself. I don’t know who I’d be after twenty-two years without you.
And last but not least, I would like to thank my parents, two of the most incredible people I know, for making this whole thing possible. Words cannot encapsulate just how thankful I am for you. Every time I felt alone, or afraid, or lost, I always knew that you would be there to help me back to my feet, and you did. Not a single thing that I have done in my life would have been possible without you. So, thank you for all that you’ve done and all that you do. I hope I can give you everything that you’ve given me later in life.
Godspeed, St. Bonaventure University.
By Jared Leve, News Editor
levejl16@bonaventure.edu
