I learned how fast life can go when I turned fourteen and gave the speech for the Eighth Grade Award Night. I realized then that time never stops. It didn’t slow to acknowledge the process of change when I graduated from High School. The summer rushed by and all of a sudden I was entering college; but in my heart, I still felt like a 12-years-old girl who just moved to LA. We can usually only observe progress at the end; only after years have passed are we able to see the transformation.
I have just finished my first year of college. It was one of the most exciting years of my life. I got a taste of independence, of early adulthood, and of being treated as an individual by my instructors. Everything was so unlike high school. Now I realize more than ever how fast time flies. I currently have the same feeling I had when I cried at my school graduation, hugging my friends as if for the last time - everything is over too quickly.
It made me think about the emotions UCSB seniors might be experiencing right now. Their “careless youth” seems to be over. They are young, intelligent, strong, and hopeful but now they are in the real world without guidance. Even in college, we can rely on someone’s help, but in “the outside world” it seems that we can only rely on ourselves. Although there is a friend’s advice and some family wisdom, we have to guide ourselves. If these are fears I have about graduating in three years, I wonder what the class of 2020 is going through right now. Seniors seemed to be the best people to ask these questions.
College teaches valuable lessons that can be applied throughout life. I am learning how to make connections with people, how to create a community through the sharing of experiences. The valuable lesson Alma Topete learned, a graduating senior of the class of 2020, is “to not give up after you have failed at something,” and her most helpful insight is that, “success does not come in a clear path”. Krysta Bass’s insight, another graduating senior, is quite helpful as well, “Life is going to be okay, there are inevitable ups and downs, but perseverance and prayer actually work to remain steadfast and confident.”
In light of recent events, the world seems confusing and desperately in need of change. When asked about the image of her future, Alma has expressed her hopes, “that we are in a better place and make basic human rights a priority worldwide.” Meanwhile, Kyrsta provided an alternative inside, “Hoping for the world is a big task and definitely out of any one person's reach, we can't control the world, but we can try our best to influence those around us in a hopeful way. My hope for myself is that I never compromise my faith or sense of self, that I can learn to be thankful in all seasons.” As a young generation, we have the future in our hands. But I wondered how we can change the world that seems to refuse to listen and Alma shared, “I hope that the work and interactions I create in the future and right now are influencing someone to some extent because I believe that we all learn from each other as human beings.” Krysta had similar hopes but noted that she doesn’t “feel the need to jump into the deep end right now,” and she feels “the permission to start small, build who I am, and go from there.” She emphasized how important it is to lead people to a greater change by serving and putting them before herself; it’s important for Kyrsta to build meaningful relationships that help her and others improve. These are wonderful thoughts. Through our communities and day-to-day interactions, we can create a chain reaction of change. It’s through people, connections, and working on the world and ourselves that we can create a change; sitting idly, paralyzed by fear will not help.
But I want to shift from the future to a past that will be missed. We had all been forced to take our Spring Quarter online and most of us have moved back home. I realize that I fell in love with the community of UCSB and IV’s energetic life. This is the sentiment I hear from everyone. We all miss our “second home”, the “paradise” next to the ocean, the freedom of the college town, and the friends we made. Alma had “met some of the most amazing people here on campus and it makes [her] sad just thinking about all [her] friends living so far away.” She will be nostalgic for the excitement of her first time at UCSB and will smile fondly at her first attempts “navigating the new environment” and the experience of living on her own. Krysta will miss intellectually fulfilling discussions about literature in her English classes; and she will never forget “having [her] own Glass Box Gallery show with my artwork.” I think when I graduate from college, I will also miss the scholastic aura and the chance to engage in academic discussions.
Personally, I met some amazing people from the 2020 graduating class when I started working for A&L. The college is a great equalizer when it comes to age differences and it was amazing for me as a small, excited freshman to get to know big, exciting seniors. I loved learning that, just like me, they have no clue about their future lives, but, unlike me, after four years of college they gained enough confidence to leave UCSB for new adventures.
It will feel empty without all of these amazing seniors at A&L. The friendly, serious, and calm graduating coworkers and friends will be talked of and greatly missed. All I can say now is: “Class of 2020, go out there and shape the world. Young and hopeful me is looking up to you.”