Throughout my grade-school years, I thought of college as a big deal because of the extreme academic rigor I was sure was about to ensue. I imagined spending endless hours in the library grinding away at the research paper that would determine my future. And yes, I did end up spending hours at the library, but I’d say about half of that time was spent talking with people, or playing some obscure game from the reserves with a group of friends.

I have learned a great deal academically throughout my time at GC, but academic improvement was simply not what I needed most from this college. After a few months in college, I realized that I had the ability to get through my classes if I put in the work (mind you, I wasn’t in any of those science classes). Socially, it was a whole different story. I was anxious, and out of practice following the pandemic. I needed an opportunity to throw myself at a wall, over and over again, until a genuine personality started to set in.

Working with The Record introduced me to a great deal of people that I would have never otherwise had the chance to speak to. Those connections spanned from the people I interviewed, to the people I spent time with (and laughed loudly with at 3 a.m.) in the Record room; more than anything, these personal connections are what I think will define my memories of The Record. Working with The Record also gave my writing an audience, and forced me to take accountability for the words I wrote. There are articles I have written that people around this campus and broader community have disliked for various reasons, and I’ve had to look these people in the eyes and accept that they are real people just like me, with legitimate reasons for complaint.

The same principle applies to campus life as a whole, specifically on this small of a campus. If you ghost someone on Snapchat, you’re gonna have to run into their best friend at the RFC. If you skip class, you might run into your professor in the dining hall. If you start talking to someone, it might get leaked on YikYak. All I’m saying is be aware.

Relationship development and observation, at least in my case, has been the most impactful education the GC community has provided me. Develop relationships with different kinds of people, and see how they play out over the four years. And I don’t mean that for the sole sake of “making connections” that can be utilized for a future career path. That’s important too, but the act of getting to know people is extremely important for its own sake.

I pulled up to Goshen with the assumption that anyone and everyone was my friend, and that I had the ability to fit any activity, commitment or friendship into my schedule. I’m not saying that’s the perfect mindset or anything, but that mindset has filled my college life with intrigue and opportunity, and I don’t have too many regrets. I’m truly grateful for these four years, and the opportunities for growth they have provided me.