When visiting campus, my car got stuck in the parking lot. Around 10 friendly faces banded together, stumbling, slipping and pushing on the ice for me until the car was free.

One crucial thing I learned about CMU students on that day – we make it work.

The statement rings true today as I watch my fellow students earn a higher education through a global pandemic.

There are plenty of students who feel cut short of the so-called “college experience” due to restrictions and protocols.

Before coming here, I had so many things to look forward to – football tailgates, all-nighters in the library, or downtown bar crawls.

Those items on my bucket list either never happened or were limited.

I had two months of normalcy; then it was gone.

It’s hard to remember what going here was like before COVID-19. I got a taste of it and had to kiss it goodbye before I even had a chance to embrace it.

I returned in August 2020, as a junior who only knew how to get to one building for one reason –Moore Hall for Central Michigan Life.

There, I got to know the most talented and kind-hearted people I’ve ever met. The feeling of being surrounded by those who fully support and believe in me was like no other. It was a true joy to walk into that office – even on the wildness of production day.

These people built my confidence, passions, and who I am as I leave. The impact that advisers, editors, and our audience had on me is everlasting and irreplaceable.

Who was there to see this growth? The people I went home to every night. Not everyone is lucky when living with randoms – I was. These four random girls became my best friends in the course of nine months.

Most said I was crazy for living with four people I’ve never met I think they need to give it a try.

Brooke, Meg, Anne and Anna – thank you for not only being a girl's best friend, but for the countless life lessons and a key part to my journey. You made a simple college town light up.

As I write my way out, I want to encourage students to think of not what was missed, but what was had.

We have all grown. COVID-19 pushed us to our limits and we continue to preserve.

As far as my future goes, you can catch me as a social media producer for MLive in Grand Rapids. An opportunity that would have never presented itself without CM Life.

To our readers, it has been an honor to be your engagement editor for the past two years. Here, I got to promote content from all different talents. Reporters, photographers, graphic designers, podcasters and everything in between, they have all trusted me to put their work before your eyes, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Doing my part to keep our community informed was a public service I will never take for granted.

So yes, maybe I did miss out on a few things. Maybe without the pandemic the experience would’ve matched the expectations. Maybe this column would have a different message.

Regardless of the maybes, I did my part to make it work and I am proud of the person I am leaving CMU.

Please, continue to grow, discover and learn.

Most of all, continue to read CM Life.