A few days ago, I was on my way to the newsroom when I passed by our outgoing Opinion Editor, Eric Fogle ‘23. I gave him a “hey buddy!” and he gave me a nice wave and a smile back. 

A few minutes later, it hit me. Was that one of the last times that I’m going to interact with Eric? Should I have spent more time talking to him there? Looking back, I wish I would have. Thankfully I’ll have a few more moments with him to share my love.

Anyway, the point of my Senior Column is to say this: when you look back across your four years at John Carroll, you realize how little time you spend cherishing it. In this whirlwind of a college experience, it’s truly so important to take a moment, even just a second of our busy lives, to reflect upon the people and the experiences that we’ve taken for granted.  

Time is a paradoxical creature. When we are stuck in a boring lecture or a tedious assignment, it seems to drag on endlessly; each second is an eternity of tedium. But when we look back on our college years, we realize with a jolt of nostalgia how quickly time has passed, how fleeting each moment was and how much we took for granted. 

It’s as if time has a way of accelerating when we’re not looking, slipping through our fingers like sand in an hourglass. And now, as we prepare to leave this chapter of our lives behind, we realize that we can never get those moments back. They are gone, lost to the inexorable march of time.

What we fail to realize as time continues is that we should have spent more time cherishing and building bonds with each other. At the heart of any college experience are the relationships we form with others. Whether it’s the friendships we forge in our dorms, the camaraderie we share with our classmates, or the mentorship we receive from our professors, these connections are the lifeblood of our college years. They are the glue that binds us together, the foundation on which we build our memories and our identities.

And yet, too often we take them for granted, assuming that they will always be there, that we will always have time to catch up, to chat, to share a laugh. But as we approach graduation, we realize with a pang of regret how much time we wasted, how many opportunities we missed, how many conversations we never had. We realize that the people we only saw once a week, the acquaintances we never got to know, the professors we never thanked, were just as important as the friends we spent every day with. 

And we wonder: what could we have accomplished, what connections could we have formed, if we had only appreciated their value earlier?

But there is a remedy for our regret, a balm for our nostalgia: appreciation. Appreciation is the act of recognizing the value of something or someone, of acknowledging the impact they have had on our lives. It is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the universe for the gifts we have been given; it is a powerful tool for cultivating gratitude and joy, even in the face of loss or change. 

When we appreciate the people and experiences that have made our college years special, we give ourselves a gift that no one can take away. We create a reservoir of positive emotion, a wellspring of hope, that will sustain us long after we leave this place. And we send a message to the people we appreciate: ‘You matter. You have made a difference in my life. I am grateful for you.‘

As I prepare to leave John Carroll, I ask you to not forget the lessons you have learned, the memories you have made and the people you have met. Let us cherish the moments we spend in this place and carry them with us wherever we go. Let us appreciate the people who make our college years special and thank them for their kindness, their wisdom and their friendship. Let us look forward to the future with hope and excitement, knowing that the skills we have gained, the relationships we have formed and the experiences we have had will serve us well in the years to come.

John Carroll University, at the end of the day, is just a bunch of buildings filled with a bunch of people, connected by a bunch of rules. The spirit of this institution, however, is within the people who inhabit it. Together, we are what John Carroll means. It is through our actions, through our thoughts, through our organizations and through our relationships that we create a true community of people together. 

So, as I sign off for the last time as a member of The Carroll News, I hope that I never forget the incredible people I’ve met. There’s so many incredible folks that I’ve experienced here at John Carroll and I want to take this final opportunity to give thanks to just a few of them. 

To the folks in Student Government, including Jacob Kozlowski ‘24, C.J. Fovozzo ‘23, , Grace Davis ‘23 and Lily Free ‘24, thank you for putting up with me for so long. All of you have made a big difference in my life and I wish I would have put more time into cherishing each of you. You guys are so funny, so caring and beyond compare. Thanks for all the laughs!

To Kelsey Mullan ‘23, I’m gonna miss you so dearly – I realized how funny you were WAY TOO LATE in the game! I hope I get more opportunities to experience your incredible spirit and quick wit. 

To Emma Kosicek ‘23, you have been a true inspiration to me in your diligence to serve and your capacity to love others. Your smiles and jokes always brighten up my day and I am really excited to see what the future holds for you!

To Student Government’s loyal advisor, Katie Jansen, you’re such an incredible gift to this university. You’re caring, talented, brilliant, dedicated, inspirational and so deeply fun to be around. You’ve made this place a home for so many people, and I couldn’t imagine this journey without your presence. 

To my team of Section Editors, Corinne McDevitt ‘23, Grace Sherban ‘25, Patrick Kane ‘23, Claire Schuppel ‘24, Sophia Giallanza ‘25, Eric Fogle ‘23 and Ashley McCall ‘23, I’m so happy that I was given the opportunity to work with all of you. Through all the ups and downs, we had an incredible year and accomplished so much together. I’ll truly never forget the innumerable laughs we shared as a team. Each of you are so talented and serve as a constant source of motivation. The Carroll News is the greatest student organization on campus and I hope everyone gets the opportunity to find out why. 

To John McMurray, Bob Noll and Carrie Buchanan, your support has meant the world to me. Your dedication and time has been greatly appreciated and I’m proud to have you all in my corner. Your expertise and knowledge has guided me and the paper through tough times and I’m proud of where it is now thanks to your help. 

To Laken Kincaid ‘24, you’re an incredibly talented individual. You’re determined to get what you want and it’s inspiring to see. You’ve been infinitely kind to me and I am so proud of you for becoming the next in line to lead this incredible organization that has given me so much. You’re gonna do amazing.

To TJ Lindstrom ‘23, you’re one of my greatest friends. I’m so excited to continue creating with you, even if no one listens. Especially if no one listens.

To my buds since freshman year, Rory Erwin ‘23, John Shackleton ‘23, Mario Ghosn ‘23, Katie Sutton ‘23, Sophie Gatesman, Patrick Noonan ‘23, Tyler Smith ‘23, Katy Zoller ‘23 and Sarah Rock ‘23, you guys have been there for some of my favorite moments and I’m so happy to continue to share many more in the years to come. You all have been for me at my worst and my best and I am so grateful for each of you for supporting me through it all. 

Finally, to my favorite Political Science Department, Colin Swearingen, Mindy Peden, Margaret Farrar, Andreas Sobisch, Pamela Mason, Dwight Hahn, Jen Ziemke and Elizabeth Stiles, you all have truly taught me so much. Every moment I spent with all of you has enriched my life, my mind and my heart. You’ve encouraged me to think critically and compassionately and you’ve all given me plenty of grace and patience. I appreciate all of you for accepting my assignments, no matter how late, because you trust me, you truly trust me. My view of the world has been shaped by all of your brilliant minds and enriching experiences and I will never forget that. 

To all the people mentioned here, and to all of the people who have ever read our Carroll News: You matter. You have made a difference in my life. And I am grateful for you.