A Farewell to the Class of 2015

For our seniors, this is the time they have been waiting for since the first day they set foot on our campus. This is the day they have been spend­ing years and countless hours study­ing so hard for. Their dedication to attaining a degree and their relentless pursuit of knowledge deserves our utmost respect and admiration. They chose to go here not just because of the pride that comes with being a Husky, but because of the faculty, stu­dents, and community members that make the UWT an outstanding school.

As a freshman, I am grateful for the seniors I have met through my classes and the ones that I have met through working here at The Ledger. I am grateful that I have been able to learn with them and learn from them. What makes the UWT different from any other college in our area is that this is a non-traditional campus where you’re never too old to learn. I know several seniors who are much older than 22. Your age doesn’t have to be a reason to isolate yourself from oth­ers, to distance yourself from campus events, or to inhibit yourself from pursuing an education.

Many of our seniors managed to work full-time jobs in addition to be­ing a full-time student. Countless others have somehow managed to raise a family while attaining their degree. And so when we recognize these students on graduation day, we should not only appreciate their aca­demic accomplishments, but also the hardships they’ve have had to over­come in order to make it this far.

I asked some of our seniors why they chose to pursue such an arduous path laced with obstacles. Their re­sponse was that hardship is required for accomplishment, challenge is re­quired for learning, and learning is required for success.

This year’s seniors have inspired me to become a better student by tak­ing my education more seriously. They are the people who have inspired me with their display of grit. They are the people who have proven that dedica­tion and hard work pay off.

In just a few days, we will say our final goodbyes and wish them the best of luck on their new journeys. There are no words to describe how proud I am of each and every one of our seniors.