There is a John Mayer lyric for any and every situation, even graduation.
“I’m so scared of getting older; I’m only good at being young,” from “Stop This Train,” is currently the line that is going through my head on a loop.
How can college already be over? It feels like yesterday that I threw my high school graduation cap into the air, excited to see where life would take me next.
To my parents, thank you for getting me here. You always remind me to stop and take a breath.
Mom, I am the Rory to your Lorelai, always. Thank you for being my personal assistant and best friend. Dad, I’m proud to be your Pearl.
To Spencer, my Jean-Ralphio, you are the coolest dude I know. There is no one who makes me laugh as hard as you do, and I’m so lucky that you’re always there to cheer me up.
To the rest of my amazing family, the Degnan’s and the Pugs, thank you for loving me and believing in me. Gram and Pop, everything that I do is for and because of you. I miss you. I love you.
My friends are an extension of my family and a support group that I would be nothing without. (Sorry in advance for not listing everyone, but I love you all dearly.)
To Kim and Liz, I’m so grateful that I have had you by my side for nine years, and I know there’s plenty more years to come. You both prove that distance does not define a friendship, time and time again.
To Deanna, thank you for befriending the shyest girl in your fourth-grade class (me). You are the best pen-pal; your letters were able to brighten up the most stressful of days.
To Joanny, Nicole, and Joshua, thank you for being the coolest family ever. What would life be like without the OCC Admissions Department bringing us together? I’m so proud to be Joshua’s Auntie Jenna.
To my Shoobies boys, from sunflowers to dahlias, I’m so happy that we’ve bloomed together throughout these past four years. Casey Marley, I’m endlessly grateful for our shared wavelength and nerdiness.
To Christi, you made Monmouth everything that it was to me. When we met, I instantly decided that we would be best friends, and I’m very happy that you went along with that.
Thank you for starting Her Campus with me. Thank you for always letting me sleep on your floor. Also, thank you for bringing Jell into my life.
To the rest of the Staten Island Squad, thank you for adopting me. I adore you all.
To Sara, my only complaint about college is that it took until senior year to meet you. You are the sun. Buzz Buzz.
To my favorite songs, thank you for keeping me sane. The indie-rock genre as a whole is a savior, as well as Fleetwood Mac, The 1975, Harry Styles, and you guessed it, John Mayer.
Thank you to the professors who have guided me along the way. I would not be half the writer that I currently am without them.
Thank you to all my English professors, particularly Professor Febos. I want to be you when I grow up.
Thank you to Professor Simoes, who taught me everything I know about PR, and who gives the greatest life advice. Thank you to Dr. Novek for encouraging me to join The Outlook.
Lastly, and never least, thank you to The Outlook. I received an email at this time last year, asking if I would be interested in the position of Features Editor. Despite my minimal journalism experience, I accepted.
College has taught me that most of the best things come from saying, “I don’t know how to do this, but I’ll figure it out.”
Every member of the staff was so welcoming and kind from the first day, and I’ve loved working with every single one of you. Thank you for making me a better writer and editor.
There is so much value in being surrounded by a like-minded and supportive community, and college introduced me to people who are more creative than I could ever be.
I am inspired by their art every day. It makes me feel understood, and it makes me want to work harder.
As a born storyteller, I love to imagine how events will turn out. But four years ago, I could have never written how magical, stressful, and blissful college would be.
The words I’ve used the most in this goodbye are “grateful” and “thankful,” because that is precisely how I feel.
When there is an end to something, there is also a new beginning. As David Bowie said, “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I can promise it won’t be boring.”
Maybe it’s best to not stop this train after all.
PHOTOS TAKEN by Jenna Puglisi
