Senior farewell: Staci Williams

Walking across campus a few days ago, I realized there are a lot of us who are nearing the end of our time at UTM. These last few months will be the last time we walk across the campus in the rain, sun, cold or warmth of coming spring.

I started thinking back to my first year here at UTM, when I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, where I would find myself going after I left here, and when I felt like the small fish in an extremely large pond.

I knew one person when I moved to Martin and that was all. Luckily, I was given the gift of a roommate who became a best friend and confidant. I was also lucky that she knew other girls and they “dragged” me along with them everywhere they went until we became almost like a big family.

I can thank UTM and the friends I’ve made here for molding me into the person I have become today. These same friends also taught me to follow my dreams and do what I loved and wanted to do, rather than what I thought my parents would want me to do with my life.

UTM and my friends also showed me how to be outgoing, something I didn’t think I could do. Being outgoing isn’t always about being the most known person on campus or being the person who goes to every single sporting event; being outgoing is about being true to yourself, putting yourself in situations that aren’t always comfortable and being able to have new experiences and meet new people.

My job here in The Pacer office has definitely helped me be a more outgoing person, and meet people from majors that I never would have gotten to meet if it weren’t for being a member of the staff in this office. I’m glad I can call my coworkers my friends as well. My short time in a sorority helped me gained friends that stayed, even after I quit the sorority. I am so glad to still get to call those girls my friends.

Along with friends, I also met my wonderful boyfriend while at UTM. I know, it sounds so cliché and cheesy, but really, I don’t think I could have made it through the last two years of my college career without him. Thank you, Houston, from the bottom of my heart, for putting up with my late night studying, my freaking out about grades and all the other little things I worry about that I have absolutely no control over.

Since I’m done reminiscing about my four years here at UTM, I have a few words of advice to everyone reading this.

I don’t care how useless you think a class is, you never know where you’ll end up in life, so try to learn a little something. It may seem useless now, but a few years down the road and it may be what you find yourself doing as a career.

You should never be afraid to change what you want to do with your life. Take it from someone who has changed majors three times since starting school in 2009; no one cares how many times you change your mind as long as you are happy in the end.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to try new things, join new groups or meet new people. Those experiences and people could shape you into exactly who you are meant to be and show you exactly what you are meant to do in life.

Have fun and enjoy your time at UTM, it flies by faster than you ever imagine it will.