For many, spring is the season of new beginnings. As the snow slowly thawed, the seeds below the ground patiently waited for the sun’s warmth so they might sprout from the earth. After months of white and greys, we now begin our days with entire new swaths of colors, from the reds of robins’ bellies to the greens of the grass we all hoped would still be there after the storms.
Though the semester began a bit treacherously, this did not discourage Simmons students from keeping their faces towards the sun. Many first-years have begun this semester with a better understanding of who they are as students. Some may have faltered during that first time away from home and family, but with the new beginning comes new experiences. Hopefully mistakes aren’t seen as failures but rather as lessons to be learned from.
Returning students might have begun this semester with more responsibilities than they had started with. Being more established within the Simmons community and having grown stronger, deeper roots could very well have helped to build the confidence needed to take up those daunting leadership roles, or perhaps that seemingly out-of-reach internship.
As for our seniors, though this final spring semester marks the end of our undergraduate careers here at Simmons College, so too does it mark the beginning of the new lives that await us once we cross that stage on Commencement day. Simmons has given us most if not all that we need in order to succeed in this world; it is up to us now to continue to grow upward and onward.
As I reflect on my own time here at Simmons, I hold close all the beginnings I have experienced. Each year creates an opportunity to make new friends while solidifying and cherishing existing ones I’ve made at Simmons. Every semester introduced me to new professors, some of whom I might not think twice about, and others who have shaped the very person I have become and whom I now consider good friends. And with the comings and goings of new faces, I’ve been lucky to have a new team dynamic each year on the crew team. I’ve been so proud to be your captain and I thank you for putting up with my continual nagging to read this very paper.
And while I’m in this grateful mood, I must extend the warmest and most sincere thanks to my student mentors Taylor Rapalyea and Sarah Kinney. Had it not been for Taylor, I would have never joined the Voice and I would not be where I am today. She is the sun that encouraged me to sprout and take on a greater role as a Simmons student. Sarah is the nurturing earth who continues to support me and tolerate my midnight phone calls during production nights. As sappy as that all sounds, I am forever thankful for you both and mean every word.
To the marvelous staff I leave behind, I leave you in the care of next year’s editor-in-chief Jessie Kuenzel. Jessie is by far one of the kindest, hard working people I’ve had the pleasure of working with and I can sleep easy knowing she’ll be running things next year.
So to my staff, and all Simmons students, I wish you luck in these final days of the semester and also in all your future endeavors. Though endings can be hard, beginnings are what keep our lives continually growing and moving forward.
