to my people at messiah

Hello everyone!

I’ve finally graduated from college! I now have a B.A. in English Literature & Spanish with a minor & certificate in TESOL/ESL. I’m graduating manga cum laude with both departmental & college honors. I’ve put a lot of hard work & passion into my degree, but it was not a solo endeavor. There are many people who helped me, not the least of whom are my family. Thank you Mom, Dad, Koen, Treyton, Grantham, & Braden for supporting me all the way. And thank you Grandpa Dave, Luz, Uncle Eric, Aunt Kappy, Holden, Beck, Uncle Randy, Allison, Lucas, Uncle Rob, Jeannine, & Gianna for your love, as well.

I also want to extend a thank you to all of my people at Messiah College (soon to be Messiah University!). And since I feel that saying a general thank you to everyone is a bit vague, I’ve decided to write one sentence to each person (whose name I can remember) that positively impacted my time at Messiah. From professors & classmates to nurses & librarians, all of these people have made my undergraduate experience extra special. And so, in alphabetical order, thank you...

Todd Abbott, you are so ambitious, & you inspire me to push myself to reach my potential.

Lissette Acosta, I’m really happy for you in your upcoming marriage—you are such a beautiful human being.

Tabitha Adel, I’m so glad I got to spend time with you when you’d come over to hang out with Lore, & I wish I’d gotten to know you better.

Noah Allen, I loved talking to you about the most random things during our off time in the tutor lounge.

Brenda Anak Ganeng, talking to you always brightens my day, & I wish you all the happiness in the world.

Caley Andrews, you are a fantastic dancer, & I always feel so happy to see you!

Clarisse Aretha, your giggle is the cutest thing in the world.

Alysha Argot, thank you for your kind words & easy smiles.

Jessica Avallone, I’m really glad we got to have a class together because I’d heard so many positive things about you from Jemi!

Anna Babcock, you are my favorite client, & I hope you continue to thrive in college.

Jordan Bailey, I have always wanted to tell you that you have the prettiest, most piercing blue eyes (but I’ve always been too shy haha).

Olivia Bardo, your creativity & art inspire me—keep writing!

Mia Barnshaw, your energetic presence lights up every room you are in, and you were such a great RA!

Hannah Barron, you are one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met, & I think you are a fantastic dancer & educator.

Sally Baum, I don’t know you very well, but your dog is my favorite—thank you for bringing Adi to campus every week!

Sarah Becker, you are the coolest “twin” I could ever ask for! :)

Sarah Blessing, you are so sweet & dedicated to Jesus.

Rachael Borden, I’ve missed working with you the past year, & I’m glad I got to know you, even if it was in the context of reading Othello.

Megan Bornman, your sense of humor is amazing, & I think your insta feed is beautiful.

Melissa Boyer, I wish we had taken more classes together—you are so intelligent & dynamic!

Prof. Diane Brockman, your psychology class was the highlight of my 2018 spring semester—you are an amazing teacher!

Denise Brown, visiting you on the third floor of Boyer always brightened up my days!

Isaac Brunk, I don’t know you, but you always made chapel better with your dedication to Jesus.

Logan Buffington, you are such a genuine person, & your passion for helping others is admirable.

Christine Bye, you are quiet but powerful, & I’m glad we got to work together.

Katharine Chamberlain, I wish we’d had more time together because you are such a special soul.

Ash Chapman, I’m really glad we were on the same plane to Madrid, or I might’ve gotten lost in the airport hehe.

JC Chau, you have such a bright smile & shining personality!

Kaity Chemidlin, you may be quiet, but your caring demeanor & kindness are so evident.

Alex Chen, you are one of the most caring people I’ve ever met, & I love your music.

Linus Chin, your laugh is my favorite thing—it’s so contagious!

Todd Christopher, you were the boss that convinced me that food service can be fun!

Haley Clasen, I used to be scared of you because of how intelligent you are, but I’m really glad we became friends last year!

Maddie Conley, you make Charmaine happy & you’re a fantastic writer. :)

Noah Cordrey, I will never forget that one night freshman year that you & several other people surrounded Katie & I in prayer when we were having a rough time.

Prof. Jean Corey, you have been such an energetic department chair & leader during my time at Messiah.

Tomas Cortez, when I sat behind you in Bible, I remember thinking how gorgeous your smile is.

Prof. Michael Cosby, your Bible class opened my eyes because of your knowledge, faith, & dry humor.

Anastasia Couch, though quiet, you radiate kindness & intentionality.

Priscila Crawford, thank you for commiserating with me during that stressful ballet class.

Jill Cuervo, your talk on trauma-informed teaching was so enlightening.

Cate Cutting, I always enjoyed seeing you at dance.

Katie Dahl, I love your passion for education & equity!

Debbie Danielson, thank you for listening & empathizing with me in our sessions when I got back from studying abroad.

Kerianne Darragh, you were one of the few reasons I survived Linguistics.

Matt Darok, you are so intelligent & down-to-earth.

Josh Darville, your rap at first-year coffeehouse was absolute fire!!!

Karyn De Poto, thank you for helping me get through TESOL classes last fall.

Leah DePra, you deserve all of the good things, & I hope your wedding goes off without a hitch.

Ellen Diehl, I love how your eyes sparkle when you talk about what you really love.

Marissa Donlevie, congratulations on the Fulbright!!!!

Lauren Dukehart, your quiet leadership is something I really admire.

Prof. David Dzaka, you made my Messiah experience unforgettable because of your wisdom, sense of humor, & guidance.

Prof. Lindsey Ebner, you are one of the most empathetic teachers I have ever met, & I’m glad I was in your class.

Hannah Eckstrom, mi companera de cuarto & amiga, eres brillante y bella.

Trust Eric, you have made me laugh more times than I can count, whether or not you realize it. :)

Deborah Fleming, your kindness did not go amiss, even in our short interactions.

Kayla Flemmens, you are gonna kill it in your future classroom with your magnanimity & dedication.

Lydia Frew, you are so delightful & passionate!

Billy Friedell, I have always appreciated how considerate you are.

Rachel Gaugler, you are so talented—I admire your dedication to language learning!

Marcelle Giovannetti, you are so kind, & your mental health discussion with the Writing Center tutors was so helpful & informative.

Nate Gorkos, you not only provided comic relief for our peer group, but you are one of the most talented creative writers I know.

Isabel Gonzalez, the way your eyes light up when you talk about Jesus makes me so happy.

Rachel Grundusky, it is astonishing how much love you carry with you.

Megan Hamilton, we’ve bonded over our mutual love of dachshunds, & I’m glad you have such good taste in doggos. :)

Rachael Hammond, you are a sweetie, & I wish we had had more Spanish classes together. Prof. John Harles, thank you x1000000 for helping me with my Fulbright application.

Sarah Fe Harris-Juarbe, your passion, dedication to justice, & love of dance inspire me to reach for more in life.

Prof. Drew Hart, your theology class actually changed my life.

Prof. Kerry Hasler-Brooks, you have been an amazing mentor, teacher, & friend over the past 4 years.

Josiah Hatfield, you are the coolest first-year residence director!

Caleb Hays, based on our limited conversations, I really wish I’d gotten to know you better because you are so funny & outgoing!

Sarah Henry, thank you for inspiring me to stay brutally honest, creative, passionate, and proud!

Emily Hess, your quiet demeanor often hides it, but you have a beautiful soul.

Laura Hevenor, you are quiet, but your sense of humor, intelligence, & passion are loud.

Joelle Hickey, I always enjoyed working with you at Lottie because of your kindness & bright smile.

Emily Hiduk, you made physical therapy better.

Famatta Hne, you are so passionate & smart, & I think you’re gonna be a great teacher.

Lindsey Horner, I love you, & I’m so glad I’ve known you all of college.

Nate Hostetter, your sarcasm is 10/10 & always made TESOL classes better.

Ally Hufford, can’t believe we used to ride scooters down McCorkel Road & now we’ve graduated.

Rachel Hungerford, you are only getting started, & I know you’re going to go on & do great things.

Prof. Gregg Hurley, you are my favorite dance teacher!

Charlito Iwuagwu, you are such a dedicated person, & I enjoyed being your partner in Caley’s dance.

Fatimah Jan, you didn’t speak up very often in class, but your comments were always so heartfelt & insightful.

Colleen Jones, I always appreciated your upbeat manner in our short interactions.

Rosey Jones, you’ve done a fantastic job on the Instagram, & I’m excited to see where your college career takes you.

Julianna Kabakjian, thank you for good conversations, especially after we both got back from studying abroad & had no idea what we were doing.

Charis Kamon, I still have fond memories of you visiting the quint, except for when you forgot to knock haha.

Rachel Kinnard, you were the coolest admissions counselor, & I wish you the best in your time apart from Messiah.

Haley Keener, your passion, sarcasm, & hard work are something I wish everyone had.

Prof. Tina Keller, I would not be the educator I am today without you! <3

Dakota Kelso, I can’t remember a time I’ve hung out with you that I *haven’t* laughed!

Aeowyn Kendall, your kindness & tenderness are always appreciated.

Hope Khamis, I admire your dedication to being a conscientious educator, & your book recommendations are 15/10.

Josh Kripas, I’ll always remember that one sunny day on the beach in Almuñecar with you, other Josh, & Steven.

Aimee Kulp, we share a passion for both dance & English, & I’ve always enjoyed classes with you.

Jason Kusmadi, you are the chillest person I have ever met (no but seriously).

Will Labossiere, you act nonchalant, but inside of you is a passionate musician & talented poet!

Prof. James LaGrand, thank you for helping me reach success during my time at Messiah.

Frankie Laird, thank you for showing me what good leadership & dedication looks like during our time editing together.

Bekah Lando, you may be small, but you are the most fiery, giggly, crazy woman of God!

Prof. Cynthia Lehman, you made math fun—a true accomplishment.

Kaci Lehman, thanks for sharing my love of music, social justice, & Brantley!!

Aidan Lewis, thank you for being so inclusive when I was one of the few non-theatre majors in jazz.

Charmaine Lim, thank you for spring break & always talking to me about books & I love you.

James Lim, you inspire me to be a more enthusiastic dancer.

Joo Yee Lim, you give the best hugs, & I’m always happy to see you.

Hannah Ling, I wish you weren’t in NC right now so I could hug you & maybe make more Tik Toks & silly videos hehe.

Jonathan Logan, you helped me get through Instructional Design lol.

Jackson Lohr, I always loved our random conversations in the Writing Center because you are such a great listener & deep thinker.

Sarah Long, you are so sweet, & I wish we’d had a class together!

Nycole Lowe, you were the best supervisor ever & your dating advice is A++++.

Rachel Lowrie, thank you for the graduation gift (& admissions advice back when I was a lil freshie).

Jemi Lui, I can’t believe I met my best friend on Facebook messenger (I love you!!!).

Sam Lyon, your hair is majestic.

Sam Mahan, thanks for sitting next to me on the Stormrunner.

Tim Mahoney, you are one of the most genuine, authentic people, & you’re smart too!!!

Gabi Marinvarela, your presence brought me so joy when I was fresh from studying abroad & didn’t have anyone else to speak Spanish with.

Prof. Christopher Markley, your public speaking advice & TED talks made night class kinda cool.

Molly Martin, I’m really glad we got to take Lolita together (even though we complained a lot haha).

Callie Masem, I always loved seeing your sweet face at the library.

Joanna Matlak, you are the coolest librarian ever.

Olivia McCullum, from 202 to FYS to the Writing Center, you made my time at Messiah extra special.

Katie McGonigal, you are so sweet & caring.

Christine Milbrath, glad I got to take Cultural Anthro with you & do weird social experiments.

Megan Miller, we share a love for Granada—& its tea. ;)

Marina Moreira, my most poignant memory of you is that time we made mug brownies in night class & talked about how amazing Aerie leggings are lol.

Joanna Moxley, your intelligence & compassion go a long way.

Prof. Jodi Noble, I never thought I liked science until I took your class & now I LOVE titration.

Caroline Olson, seeing you is always an unexpected happy surprise.

Prof. Janell Paris, thank you for opening my mind to all the ways human beings are incredibly similar & yet incredibly different.

Sara Parrish, you are such a strong, resilient person & fantastic dancer!

Lydia Pebly, one day I’m going to see you on TV raising a storm over injustice—keep it up.

Rachel Pejack, you’re quiet, but you’re so smart & a fantastic dancer.

Prof. Christine Perrin, I will always fondly remember tea in your office.

Katrin Peterson, your silliness & godliness balance perfectly to make you a one-of-a-kind friend.

Pres. Kim Phipps, thank you for your dedication to making Messiah the wonderful place it is today.

Elizabeth Pinkham, you made me actually enjoy pointe, which is a huge accomplishment.

Prof. Peter Powers, thank you for all you do to make the SOH a place to learn & grow.

Caila Prestige, you are so sweet, & I always loved talking to you about Jesus.

Julie Price, my favorite part of walking outside was wondering if I was going to run into you & Diesel!

Shay Quintin, I love how you think about things, & I think you'll make a fantastic teacher.

Hannah Ramey, thank you for your timely & helpful advice about Granada.

Marianne Ramirez Gomez, disfrute mucho de pasar tiempo contigo en el club de español y en HDFS.

Hannah Rauhut, you are so joyful and Christ-like, and you inspire me every day!

Hannah Reed, I’ve been in love with you since Oral Comm freshman year. ;)

Lorena Reinert, you make me want to travel more, & I still use the pouch you brought me from Guatemala.

Ember Rensel, you have a kind heart & a resilient spirit & I like you.

Drew Resh, congrats on getting into dentist school—it’s probably because of your piano hands.

Bailey Rhodes, your whimsical personality made freshman year much more enjoyable.

Jake Rice, I would always catch myself staring at your interesting tattoos during class, & I think you are very wise for your age.

Tazia Rice, your voice is beautiful.

Prof. Gladys Robalino, thank you for keeping my life for the Spanish language & culture alive.

Sam Rockhill, you are such a leader, advocate, & ally.

Prof. Sheila Rodriguez, eres una profesora tan amable, sabia y llena de amor.

Esther Rosier, your hair is gorgeous, & I’ve always admired you from afar.

Olivia Rossi, you are such a caring, thoughtful woman of the Lord, and I loved being your resident last year.

Prof. Matthew Roth, you taught me to appreciate Nabokov, which is pretty impressive in my opinion.

Abby Ruth, thank you for introducing me to Emma Approved & sharing my love of Jane Austen.

Joanna Saufley, I love our bike rides & hikes & ice cream dates.

Joe Saufley, I feel like I always run into you at the most random of times, but you're pretty cool so I don't mind.

Caleb Schluep, I remember one time freshman year everyone in the Naugle dinner group got a table without us, but you still sat with me. :)

Carleigh Schneider, you make me happy, but you also make Hannah happy, which is even better.

Maggie Shive, my fellow type 1 & introvert, I always enjoy our time together.

Nathan Simms, I can't wait to see what you do in the future with your passions & skills in Spanish & photography.

Amy Slody, I came to the Disabilities Office to see Isaac & Amari, but I stayed because of you. :)

Prof. Samuel Smith, thank you for teaching so much about literature & life over the past 4 years.

Ella Sobek, you may be quiet, but your knowledge & wisdom knows no bounds.

Maddie Spivey, it is difficult to find someone more talented than you, & I'm so glad that we finally came to be friends after having known each other for so long at CHESS.

Jordan Sponsler, I love how you combine your passions for STEM & representing the underrepresented in all aspects of your life.

Emma Spronk, I admire you as a writer, fellow peer-tutor, and friend.

Emily Stark, you are such a sweetie, & I wish you the best in Mexico.

Hannah Stolpe, you are so driven, & you inspire me to be more dedicated to becoming a polyglot.

Emma Stratton, I remember the one night you went to Footprintz for Caley’s dance, & we partnered together—you are so fun!

Alicia Sztobryn, your dry sense of humor & wise outlook on life are such a blessing.

Dan Sztobryn, you're the coolest safety officer out there.

Noelle Thomas, we share a birthday & a love for Ravenclaw & languages & books, so we're basically twins.

Kate Thompson, thank you for your sense of humor & bright smile.

Miriam Thurber, thank you for sharing my love of African literature & for doing my hair on my birthday last year.

Katy Trice, I always looked up to you when I was an underclass(wo)man.

Hana (Thao) Truong, we would often walk together when leaving Smith—your smile is so joyful.

Christian Valen, I’m glad we had class together, especially after finding out you grew up with Holden!

Natalie Vermeulen, your smile is probably the cutest thing ever, & I’ll miss seeing you in class & at work.

Kevin Villegas, you read people like books, & I think that’s a pretty cool skill to have.

Dan Vivolo, I’m not taking 100% credit for you & Caley, but you’re welcome for the high heels. ;)

Ariana Waclawiw, we got to know each other because of our mutual love of doggos, & I think that’s fantastic.

Karrington Washington, you are the coolest person ever, & your intro of me at our Nonfiction Writing final was so sweet.

Linda Weaver, you have the biggest smile that always brightened my day.

Avi Weiser, you are one of the strongest people I know, & I want you to know that you will achieve great things in college & after.

Helen Wiley, your smiley face is one of my favorite memories from freshman year.

Eden Willis, I wish I had seen you more this year, but know there is still an extra special place for you in my heart. <3

Katie Wingert, I have always admired you & followed your footsteps, sometimes inadvertently haha.

Jenn Wintermute, I love your hugs & your smile & your caring personality.

Lydia Wittman, you consistently surprise me with how godly & clever you are (& sarcastic & your music taste ??????).

Ryan Wong, thank you for showing me that I can actually (kinda) dance hip-hop.

Jenny Woolley, never have I connected with someone so instantaneously as I have you, & I hope we stay in touch to continue our crazy, interesting life discussions.

Shung Yen Tan, I enjoyed our time in my apartment together with Lorena & JC, talking about traveling fiascos & Spanish.

Ines Yoon, your smile is so welcoming, & I wish I'd gotten to know you better because Jemi & Charmaine love you.

Clara Yu, you’re my absolute favorite sophomore & the best librarian out there.

Prof. Kim Yunez, thank you for being such a supportive, caring, empathetic teacher & for sharing my love of Colombia.

Tricia Zechman, we had a fantastic conversation while making pizza in Lottie about long-distance relationships, among other things.

Zhuang Lin Mok, I loved working with you at Lottie, & your hugs are the best.

Abbie Zoebisch, I enjoyed working with you on the Peregrine, & your aesthetic is gorgeous.

So, that is it. Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you. I am certain I did not get to everyone but my memory is only so good so I apologize to those whose names didn’t make the list. There are many, many others who I did not thank specifically, but know there is still a special place for you in my heart.

xx Liz