And it's done. I've graduated from university!
No longer the President for Doctors Without Borders York and Salsa Club. No longer a Senator, Student Health Ambassador, and the Vice-Chair of Safety. No more "York Students" posts.
It's been an amazing run. To all the people I graduated with and who are graduating this year, congratulations! We did it! I honestly don't know how to put it all into words and I'll never do it justice here. The lessons I have learned in the classroom and outside of it have been some of the best experiences of my life so far. That includes the struggles. I learned a lot about people, from those I agree and disagree with on occasion, and I am aware that the "real world" is a lot different from the "university bubble". But I'm excited to apply what I've learned at university and grow in new ways. Don't know what the future holds for me, but it'll be a fun ride regardless.
But my experience was exceptional because of the friends, acquaintances, professors, teaching assistants, faculty, and staff that I had the pleasure of meeting and being around these past five years. If I have seen you anytime in the past five years, you were a part of this experience, so thank you. Especially to my family and friends who have been challenging me to be a better person. I cannot thank you enough. I've always said about York at Senate and Safety meetings that it's biggest strength is that it's a "people" school. And I have been honoured to have you all in my life.
I don't believe that people get easily inspired from just one moment. I think it takes an entire perspective change to motivate yourself to move in the right direction. But I wanted to show people through the work I have done that you can push yourselves more than you sometimes give yourself credit for. Lack of resources, and life circumstances can be debilitating, and I never want to diminish that because I have gone through it and I still go through it. But one of the lessons I learned from York is that while you can't control everything in your life, you can always control how you react to it. There have been many times where I wanted to give up because of a setback. But I always found a way to make it an opportunity, while recognizing that it was going to be one of the hardest things I ever had to do. And remember you're not alone. Many people go through struggles we never get the chance to see. So lend a hand to those in need and take a hand if you need it.
