BY BIANCA BILLONI, STAFF WRITER
photo courtesy of Bianca Billoni
Hello, dear readers. It feels a bit surreal to be writing this, but this will be my last article for The BV. I’ve struggled a lot trying to figure out what I wanted to write about in this piece.
How do you properly say goodbye to something that’s become your home for the past four years?
I think a good place to start is with what I’ve learned and improved on while I’ve been a student at St. Bonaventure University.
One of the things I’m most proud of is my growth as a writer. If it weren’t for my education in the Jandoli School of Communication, my writing would not be what it is today.
Firstly, although it was tedious and time-consuming, I’m very grateful for EGUMPP. I can already hear a chorus of groans from my fellow Jandoli students. For my non-Jandoli students, EGUMPP is an online series of grammar modules that train students in writing for AP style. Without it, I certainly couldn’t have gotten through the Newswriting & Reporting courses, let alone reporting for TAPinto Greater Olean.
This is the perfect segue into the other large contributor of my growth as a writer: my professors. I’m so lucky to have had such wonderful professors during my time here, but I have to give a special thank you to the professors that helped me to become the confident writer I am today. Denny Wilkins, Anne Lee and Rich Lee have truly helped me to find my voice and have always encouraged me to push myself to be even better.
Another thing I’m very proud of is my growth in confidence.
When I think back to myself as a freshman, it’s hard to believe that was me. I had just graduated from a high school where I felt I had to play a part based on others’ preconceived notions of me. I valued myself at the amount of value others placed on me. I didn’t know what it meant to be myself, and by hiding the real Bianca, I was not only depriving others but also depriving myself.
I am glad to say today I feel very comfortable in my own skin. I can’t say I’m at 100% all the time (who can?), but I can say I now understand the importance of being myself even when it seems scary. I have to give a big thank you to the SBU music and theater departments. The support from those students and professors has helped me to see myself in a new light. A special shoutout goes to Laura Peterson, my advisor and piano teacher. Without our weekly sessions, I can’t say for sure that I would have stayed sane throughout this experience. My summer on the orientation team also really helped to build my leadership skills and public speaking abilities. I would not trade that experience for anything.
More than anything, my time at Bonaventure has taught me what it means to belong.
I truly feel that I have gained a second family here. From the moment I came to visit this school as a prospective student, I felt like an important part of the community. I am so grateful to have found people that appreciate me for me. To my friends: thank you for sticking with me through the ups and downs of this experience. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.
Goodbye, Bonaventure, and thank you.
billonbd19@bonaventure.edu
