Graduation

Let's hit that rewind button for a moment. Take it back to first year. That first day of university still happens to be so crystal clear to me. The excitement, nervousness, and the daunting thought of how long 4 years was going to be...

And yet here I am. The word "convocation" was such a far-off distant word to me. Every year I'd attend the post-convocation (or what I call picture time) for my upper year friends and it's so crazy to think that this time, I'll be the one in the gown.

These four years were filled with ups and downs. Some months felt like an eternity, some felt like a week. Although, in retrospect, the entire 4 years collectively seemed like a blur haha. But there is no doubt whatsoever that my time at UofT was one of the most significant chapters of my life. Much of who I am today can be accredited to those I encountered during my time here. I've met so many incredible people, some who went on to become my best friends (and, of course, some not so wonderful haha But hey, I still owe you a thanks for helping me shape who I am today!).

I don't want this to become a long sappy post about my university memories. I'll keep those to myself and treasure them forever. But I just want to give a huge thank you to everyone who was a part of my life these past 4 years. Thank you to those who helped make Toronto a home for me. Thank you to those who spent hours in the library with me (Robarts you will not be missed). Thank you to those who helped me whenever I was in need. Thank you to my dragon boat team for being my family in my first 2 years. Thank you to the CASS fam for always keeping it fun (and reminding me how shit my alcohol tolerance is at every party). Thank you to my UTBBBS team for making it happen (we started a club, how cool is that? You guys all deserve a pat on the back). And in general, just thank you for making me laugh in times of stress and reminding me that friends are a wonderful thing. I love you all, and I hope that those who made a lasting impact on my life also think the same about me. And wherever life takes us, because I know we'll all be walking separate ways, I hope that we keep in touch.

Love, Lena